Japan to procure technical support for its Aegis-class destroyer fleet
The US and Japan's Aegis-class destroyers have worked and trained together, as here at RIMPAC. (Photo: US Navy/Daniel Woods)
The sale would allow Japan significant technical and computer support for its Aegis-class destroyers for the immediate future.
The US State Department has agreed a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) of follow-on technical support for Japan’s Aegis-class destroyer fleet, at an estimated cost of US$150 million.
The sale will include sustainment support and services, Aegis computer software updates, system integration and testing, in-country and on-site engineering support, familiarisation and sustainment. Additional, the deal will involve all necessary emergent support engineering and technical support services, operational support, system overhauls and upgrades, and on-the-job practical operations and maintenance.
The payment will also buy Japan combat systems integration, development, testing, and installation of program patches; adaptation data and annual service agreements; coverage of any technical inquiries, operation, integration and maintenance; field service engineering, problem investigation and solutions to the technical problems arising from post-production; and testing capabilities. US government and contractor technical assistance will form a vital part of the package.
The proposed sale has been based on Japan remaining a force for political stability and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific region. It has been seen by Japan as critical to ensuring the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force’s (JMSDF) Aegis-class destroyer fleet is maintained in the short-to-medium term.
Japan has altered its plans surrounding the Aegis fleet in recent years.
Until November 2022, the JMSDF was scheduled to procure two new 20,000t vessels to update the fleet. It then decided instead to build two new 8,200t vessels, rather than the 20,000t vessels it had previously had in mind. The idea behind the whiplash change was to improve the manoeuvrability of the vessels in the fleet.
In the FY2023 defence budget, the Japanese Ministry of Defense allocated JPY220.8 billion ($1.6 billion) for the destroyers’ design and acquisition costs including engines.
Deliveries of the new vessels have been scheduled to take place between FY2027 and FY2028.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
You may also like
More from Naval Warfare
-
![GD to build more replenishment ships under deal potentially worth more than $6.7 billion]()
GD to build more replenishment ships under deal potentially worth more than $6.7 billion
GD-NASSCO is currently under contract for the first nine ships of the class and has delivered three to date. With this award, the company is set to build 17 of the US Navy’s 20-ship programme of record.
-
![BAE Systems selected for Sting Ray torpedo upgrade work]()
BAE Systems selected for Sting Ray torpedo upgrade work
The Sting Ray can be deployed from frigates, helicopters and maritime patrol aircraft against submarine targets of all types. It uses an acoustic homing system and navigation system to detect, classify and attack targets autonomously.
-
![Netherlands ties Naval Group into Walrus submarine replacement]()
Netherlands ties Naval Group into Walrus submarine replacement
The new submarines have been scheduled for delivered from the 2030s onwards.
-
![US Navy commissions the last San Antonio-class Flight I vessel]()
US Navy commissions the last San Antonio-class Flight I vessel
Equipped with the capabilities of the other San Antonio Class ships, the USS Richard M. McCool (LPD 29) incorporated additional lessons learned in its design.
-
![Exail selected to enhance navigation capabilities of the French Navy’s OPV]()
Exail selected to enhance navigation capabilities of the French Navy’s OPV
Naval Group has selected the high-tech industrial group to provide its Phins Inertial Navigation Systems and Netans Data Distribution Units to French OPVs.
