Australia said Monday it has shortlisted Japan and Germany to build its new fleet of general purpose frigates in a program worth up to A$10 billion ($6.5 billion) over the next decade.Japan has proposed vessels based on the Maritime Self-Defense Force's cutting-edge Mogami-class frigate, Canberra said, with a final decision set to be made next year.The frigate produced by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. can be operated by around 90 crew, half as many as similar vessels.Germany's contender is the MEKO A200 frigate developed by Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, a modern version of the Australian …READ FULL ARTICLE
