OKI wins MHI contract to supply towed passive sonar for Australian Navy frigates

Published Jul 28, 01:27 PM UTC

Oki Electric Industry has signed a supply contract with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to deliver towed passive sonar systems and related equipment for the Australian government's new fleet of general-purpose frigates. The contract covers the first three vessels in a planned total of eleven ships. The electronic surveillance technology will be installed on the 06FFM, an improved Mogami-class frigate selected by Australia in August 2025. Towed passive sonar technology detects submarines and underwater targets by capturing acoustic information from sensors towed behind a vessel. The contract marks OKI's first overseas transfer of defense equipment. The ships, built at MHI's Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works, are scheduled for delivery with the initial frigate expected by December 2029. The 06FFM frigate is a 4,800-tonne variant with a range of up to 10,000 nautical miles, equipped with a 32-cell Vertical Launch System and surface-to-air and anti-ship missiles. The vessels will be crewed by 92 Royal Australian Navy personnel and designed to operate the MH-60R Seahawk helicopter.