Rolls-Royce MT30 to Power Australia’s New Upgraded Mogami-Class Frigates

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The Rolls-Royce MT30 marine gas turbine has been selected to power Australia’s new naval fleet of general-purpose frigates.

Last year, Australia announced it had selected Japan’s upgraded Mogami-class frigates as the replacement platform for their general-purpose naval frigates. The Mogami-class is currently powered by the Rolls-Royce MT30 marine gas turbine and the Australian Navy has announced that the MT30 will also be used to power their fleet.

Rolls-Royce MT30 engines will be used to power the fleet of up to 11 ships, helping enhance the Australian Navy’s undersea warfare and air defence capabilities.

Alex Zino, Director of Business Development and Future Programmes, UK and International, from Rolls-Royce Defence said:

"For over 100 years, Rolls-Royce has been an integral partner delivering power and propulsion to Australia for air, land, and sea. We are delighted to continue this long-standing partnership by powering their new general-purpose frigates with our MT30 engine.”“We are pleased to support this collaboration between two nations that are combining capabilities to enhance the security across the region.”

The MT30 is the world’s most power-dense marine gas turbine in service today delivering power margin and greater platform design flexibility. Proven at sea, it delivers efficiency, reliability and excellent power retention through-life for operators.

The engine is in service with several navies around the globe and already powers Global Combat Ship variants—including Australia’s Hunter-class frigate.

Designed, assembled and tested at the Rolls-Royce site in Bristol, UK, the MT30 is the engine of choice for some of the world’s most advanced naval platforms including, the Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth aircraft carriers and Type 26 global combat ship, the US Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship Freedom-class variant and DDG-1000 Zumwalt-class advanced destroyer, the Republic of Korea Navy’s Daegu-class and Chungnam-class frigates, the Italian Navy’s new Landing Helicopter Dock and the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force’s (JMSDF) Mogami-class frigate.

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Australia’s new general-purpose frigates will be exported from Japan and built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The programme will see the first three frigates built in Japan—with the first scheduled to be delivered to Australia in 2029 and operational in 2030.

In addition to the MT30 marine gas turbine, the upgraded Mogami-class frigates are equipped with mtu Series 4000‑based diesel generator sets from Rolls‑Royce Power Systems, providing reliable onboard power generation for a wide range of ship systems. The generator sets are supplied through Rolls-Royce Power Systems’ established licensed partner, Daihatsu InfinEarth, reflecting the company’s integrated yet multi‑divisional contribution to modern naval platforms.

Rolls-Royce in Australia

Today, Rolls-Royce powers the next generation of aircraft including the RAAF Hawk through the Adour engine; the RAAF C-130J and C-27J fleets with the AE 2100 engine; the MQ-4C Triton, powered by AE3007H; and the MC-55 Peregrine (G550) aircraft with the BR710. The Rolls-Royce MT30 marine gas turbine will also power the Royal Australian Navy’s Hunter-class frigates.

Rolls-Royce also plays a significant role in the AUKUS trilateral agreement between Australia, the UK, and the US, with Roll-Royce Submarines Ltd set to provide reactors for Australia’s nuclear-powered submarines.

Rolls-Royce holds existing, longstanding, and valued partnerships with the likes of Penske—the distributor of Rolls-Royce Power Systems’ mtu brand in Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific. Marand is the industry partner for the MT30 gas turbine enclosure manufacture and integration, for Australia’s new Hunter-class frigate programme.