Australia to prioritize Japan as frigate development partner

Australia said Tuesday it will prioritize partnering with Japan in building its new fleet of general-purpose frigates, selecting Japan's cutting-edge Mogami-class frigate as the "preferred platform" for its AU$10 billion ($6.5 billion) program.Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles said at a press conference that the frigate designed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. is "the best frigate for Australia," citing the vessel's stealth capability and the fact that it can operate with almost half the crew of the Australian Navy's Anzac-class frigates.Equipped with …READ FULL ARTICLE