澳洲砸百億改買日本軍艦！「最速神盾化」計畫震撼澳洲海軍

(David Mareuil/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

澳洲海軍正在進行近年最大規模水面艦隊重整，而這次，主角不是美國，也不是歐洲，而是日本。

 

澳洲正式拍板，向日本採購新一代「升級版最上級（Upgraded Mogami）」護衛艦，總數高達11艘，總金額約100億澳元（約新台幣2100億元），成為日本近代最具代表性的軍售出口案之一。 

 

根據澳洲與日本政府公布資訊，首批3艘將由日本 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries 在日本建造，最快2029年交付澳洲皇家海軍，其餘8艘則規劃未來在澳洲西部建造。 

 

這批軍艦其實是日本最新「06FFM」升級型設計，也被稱為「新最上級」。相較原版，它擁有更強防空能力、更大的飛彈發射系統，以及更先進的雷達與電子戰設備。 

 

澳洲之所以震驚外界地快速決定採購日本軍艦，最大原因其實是「時間」。

 

近年中國海軍快速擴張，讓澳洲開始擔憂現有艦隊老化問題。原本澳洲國內造艦進度長期拖延，軍方擔心新艦可能趕不上區域安全局勢變化，因此決定直接採用日本現成成熟設計，並盡可能維持「零修改」策略，加快交艦速度。 

 

澳洲皇家海軍未來版本將搭載：

• ESSM Block 2 防空飛彈

• Mk 41 垂直發射系統

• Naval Strike Missile（NSM）反艦飛彈

• SeaRAM近迫防禦系統

• MK54魚雷

• MH-60R海鷹直升機操作能力  

 

此外，艦上還將使用日本開發的 UNICORN 整合式桅杆與 OPY-2 相位陣列雷達，被視為日本海軍近年最先進水面艦技術之一。 

 

更值得注意的是，這筆交易不只是單純軍售，而是代表日本正逐步擺脫過去「限制武器出口」的戰後政策。

 

自2014年日本放寬軍備出口限制後，東京一直希望成為全球軍工出口國，而澳洲這次採購案，幾乎可說是日本國防產業正式打入西方盟友市場的重要里程碑。 

 

對台灣而言，這也代表印太區域軍事合作正在快速深化。

 

日本、澳洲、美國之間的聯合作戰與裝備互通能力未來將越來越高，而海上防空、反潛與飛彈作戰能力，也正在朝「北約化」方向發展。

 

三個觀察重點

1️⃣ 日本軍工正式進入全球市場

 

 

過去日本軍工長期只供應自衛隊，如今最上級護衛艦出口澳洲，象徵日本正式成為印太重要軍售國家。

 

 

2️⃣ 澳洲正在加速因應中國海軍擴張

 

 

澳洲選擇「快速現成方案」，反映印太安全壓力正在升高，海軍戰力已不能慢慢等。

 

 

3️⃣ 印太海軍開始高度整合

 

 

日本、美國、澳洲未來艦隊系統與飛彈逐漸共通化，代表區域聯合作戰能力正快速提升。

 

US Air Force Begins “AI Wingman Era” with Nearly $1 Billion CCA Procurement Plan

 

 

The U.S. Air Force is officially entering the era of AI-powered combat drones.

 

Under the newly released FY2027 defense budget, the Air Force is requesting nearly $1 billion to begin procurement of its first Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), marking the transition from prototype testing to real operational deployment. 

 

The budget includes:

• $996.5 million for initial CCA procurement

• $150 million in advance procurement funding for FY28

• Approximately $1.37 billion in continued R&D funding

 

The total CCA-related request now exceeds $2.3 billion. 

 

CCA drones are essentially AI-enabled “loyal wingmen” designed to fly alongside crewed fighters such as the F-35 and F-22. They could perform missions including reconnaissance, electronic warfare, suppression of enemy air defenses, decoy operations, and strike missions.

 

The Air Force believes these lower-cost autonomous systems can expand combat mass while reducing risks to expensive fifth-generation fighters.

 

Current leading competitors include:

• Anduril Industries

• General Atomics

 

Their YFQ-42A and YFQ-44A prototypes may become America’s first operational AI combat wingmen. 

 

The program reflects the Pentagon’s growing emphasis on “Affordable Mass” — using large numbers of relatively inexpensive drones instead of relying solely on a small fleet of costly advanced fighters.

 

The shift is largely driven by concerns over China’s expanding missile and air-defense networks across the Indo-Pacific.

 

For Taiwan and the broader Asia-Pacific region, the implications are significant. Future warfare may increasingly involve AI drones, distributed operations, electronic warfare, and networked combat systems rather than traditional fighter-versus-fighter engagements.

 

Three Key Observations

 

1️⃣ The U.S. is officially entering the mass-production phase of AI air combat

 

 

CCA is no longer an experimental concept. The Air Force is now preparing for operational deployment.

 

 

2️⃣ Future fighters may become airborne command hubs

 

 

Instead of directly entering the most dangerous airspace, crewed fighters like the F-35 may coordinate large autonomous drone formations.

 

 

3️⃣ The Taiwan Strait could become a major AI warfare environment

 

 

The Indo-Pacific’s geography and missile threats make distributed drone warfare especially attractive for future military operations.