Mitsubishi Heavy Industries will be the primary contractor in the project to develop and manufacture a new generation of FFM frigates for the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force, in collaboration with JMU (Japan Marine United Corporation).
The new Japanese frigates will have combat capabilities similar to those found in naval destroyers and will feature American-made missile defence systems.
The Japanese Ministry of Defence plans to acquire multiple FFM-class ships from this new generation. The specific details of the contracts for manufacturing these ships are expected to be announced next year.
Each of the new Japanese frigates will have a length of 142 metres, a width of 17 metres, and a displacement of 4,880 tons, making them significantly larger compared to the FFM frigates currently owned by Japan.
