Japanese frigate may be a lifeline for New Zealand’s maritime security (Tadashi Iwami -East Asia Forum)

China’s growing military activity in the Pacific has accelerated New Zealand’s strategic pivot towards closer defence alignment with like-minded partners, including Japan. Japan’s highly automated New Mogami-class frigate has emerged as a potential solution to the Royal New Zealand Navy’s personnel shortages, vast maritime responsibilities and declining operational readiness. A joint Australia–New Zealand acquisition could turn the frigate into a shared regional security backbone, reshaping Indo-Pacific defence cooperation.

Japanese frigate may be a lifeline for New Zealand’s maritime security | East Asia Forum