Posted on September 14, 2026
Japan is reportedly reassessing its participation in the future U.S. Navy frigate program, according to information reported on September 11, 2026. This caution contrasts with the commercial activity surrounding the Mogami class, selected by Australia and offered to India and New Zealand on a tight schedule. While Tokyo appeared positioned to become a leading supplier to its partners, the industrial capacity to be mobilized and the protection of already planned deliveries would now be leading the Japanese government to reconsider a potential U.S. order.
The US Navy is studying Japan’s Mogami-class, South Korea’s Chungnam-class and Turkey’s Istanbul-class frigates, without having announced a selection. According to USNI News, this work is due to be completed in November. An international competition could then authorize the construction of up to 2 vessels in foreign shipyards, before production is transferred to the United States. This arrangement would combine the purchase of an allied design with investment in U.S. naval companies, as well as the recruitment and training of workers in the United States.
Designed as a multirole frigate, the Mogami has anti-air, anti-ship, anti-submarine and mine warfare capabilities, as well as a flight deck and hangar for a Seahawk helicopter. Japanese shipyards must nevertheless produce the initial and upgraded versions for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, while fulfilling the Australian order. U.S. participation would also require upgrading industrial equipment, adapting production methods and training substantial numbers of personnel, with the risk of mobilizing resources already allocated to Japanese and Australian schedules.
Tokyo is also strengthening its military ties with the United States’ leading partners in the Indo-Pacific. Japan, South Korea and the United States have notably launched the Freedom Edge multidomain exercise around Jeju Island, with maritime, air and cyber activities intended to improve their coordination against North Korean capabilities. Under a first hypothesis, the Japanese government would prioritize its future role as a regional pivot by supporting Canberra, Wellington and New Delhi, rather than devoting its limited resources to a U.S. Navy that already has 289 combat vessels, including 99 deployed.
