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Post by meo4 on Aug 30, 2012 23:17:56 GMT 12
 Bofors thats the one in served in Australian navy for 62 years. Think RNZN were last used upto the 90s on HMNZS Southland. The latest version of Bofors is the 57 mm gun think its under BAE now . Would make good replacement for 25mm bushmaster gun on the OPV / Canterbury if they have not fixed them already. |
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Post by nige on Aug 31, 2012 7:40:24 GMT 12
What exactly are the issues with the Bushmaster 25mm on the OPV's, meo? Are they not sufficiently protected from the elements and prone to failure?
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Post by expatkiwi on Aug 31, 2012 12:23:05 GMT 12
The anchor needs a clean up though. A job for someone on jankers Or a Thursday night I.E. project |
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Post by meo4 on Aug 31, 2012 15:15:08 GMT 12
Brake or something like that. Canterbury looks like it works alright as per navy today pic .  Still something like Mk110 or CIWS would provide better protection for Canterbury against anti ship missiles speed boats that the current arrangement. |
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Post by Marcus on Apr 2, 2013 8:41:03 GMT 12
Hi all
I finally completed the video I took during our visit to Otago in 2012. The video was made with an old Sony Handycam so not HD. The music I have added to the clip might not be everybody's cup of tea but I had nothing else suitable. There is a lot of of background noise so I do not have much of a choice adding music to the clip as I only have the cameras microphone to record sound with. Having said all of the above I believe the "old navy hands" among us will enjoy the clip.
Regards
Marcus
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Post by ngatimozart on Apr 2, 2013 21:33:15 GMT 12
Good one Marcus. Thoroughly enjoyed it and thats from an old salt ;D Would it be ok if I post the link to the Ex Navy facebook page? A lot of the crusty old salts on there would probably enjoy it.
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Post by Marcus on Apr 3, 2013 22:29:11 GMT 12
Would it be ok if I post the link to the Ex Navy facebook page? A lot of the crusty old salts on there would probably enjoy it. Hi NM Not a problem. Marcus |
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Post by ngatimozart on Apr 4, 2013 15:52:43 GMT 12
Would it be ok if I post the link to the Ex Navy facebook page? A lot of the crusty old salts on there would probably enjoy it. Hi NM Not a problem. Marcus Thanks Marcus. Much appreciated. |
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Post by exkiwiforces on Mar 19, 2014 22:18:25 GMT 12
Found this on the Jane's Defence website today at work. Dated 18 Mar 2014.
The Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) will upgrade the main armament of its Otago-class offshore patrol vessels (PBOs) by the end of 2014. The MSI DS 25M Autsig 25 mm remote gun system currently equipping Otago and Wellington will be replaced by Rafael's Typhoon 25 mm stabilised gun system. (BAE Systems Australia)
Speaking to IHS Jane's at the Offshore Patrol Vessels Asia Pacific 2014 conference in Singapore, the commanding officer of HMZNS Otago , Lieutenant Commander Robert McCaw, said both Otago-class PBOs currently in service - HMZNS Otago and HMZNS Wellington - will be upgraded with the Rafael Typhoon 25 mm stabilised close-in gun system. Trials of the Typhoon will take place in the third quarter of 2014, and Lt Cdr McCaw expects full qualification will be achieved by the end of 2014.
The Typhoon will replace the MSI DS 25M Autsig 25 mm gun system currently installed on the PBOs.
Lt Cdr McCaw said the replacement of the DS 25M gun system was part of the remedial programme for the two vessels, which were initially delivered around 100 tonnes overweight and with a number of construction defects.
The RNZN finally accepted the two PBOs in February and April 2010 after mediation between the New Zealand Ministry of Defence (MoD) and BAE Systems Australia, which had acquired the original constructor of the vessels, Tenix Defence, in May 2008.
Lt Cdr McCaw added that the use of the Typhoon 25 mm gun system will streamline crew training. The RNZN's two ANZAC-class frigates HMNZS Te Kaha and HMNZS Te Mana are equipped with Rafael Mini-Typhoon stabilised gun systems fitted with .50 calibre machine guns (MGs), which utilise the same training package.
The RNZN is also considering the possibility of upgrading the Otago-class PBOs with the capability to launch and recover unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), although no concrete plans have yet been confirmed. A potential option, Lt Cdr McCaw said, might be a larger and improved naval version of the indigenously-developed Kahu (Hawk) UAV, which is currently deployed by the army.
"As a Weapon Instructor for small arms and crewed served weapon systems, I think this is a very smart move by the Senior service as noted by Cdr McCaw as it will streamline training, maintenance, save money and time. When I was based down south in Melbourne 3 years ago. I heard a rumour that the RNZN were looking at the Scan Eagle UAV the Otago Class POB's and my source at the time said there maybe weight issues the Catapult systems or the recovery system for the Scan Eagle as the Otago Class is a little overweight. Having seen the Scan Eagle used in operations in the Gan, I think its one of the Best small UAV's at the moment as you can tailor your mission package to suit the mission you are about to under take and you can have a data link to another platform ie a Helo or someone on ground."
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 20, 2014 1:01:47 GMT 12
"HMZNS Otago"
Her Majesty's Zulu Natal Ship?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 20, 2014 10:11:28 GMT 12
They call them PBO's and POB's in that article... It was my understanding that they were OPV's... What would PBO even stand for?
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Post by ErrolC on Mar 20, 2014 11:00:55 GMT 12
Presumably Patrol Boat Offshore. Maybe USN or NATO term/designation?
Sent via Proboards Android App
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Post by exkiwiforces on Mar 20, 2014 11:51:45 GMT 12
Yes Errol, there has been a wee change in the NATO designations of late and PBO does stand for Patrol Boat Offshore.
Dave, I didn't see that wee spelling error either at work or at home.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 21, 2014 7:09:08 GMT 12
In WWII the Navy abbreviation PBO stood for a Lockheed Hudson!
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Post by ErrolC on Mar 21, 2014 7:30:37 GMT 12
Well P still equals Patrol!
For those that don't know offhand the USN designation system of 1922-1962
PB = Patrol Bomber
O = code for Lockheed. Consolidated being Y, hence PBY for what was later named the Catalina.
Sent via Proboards Android App
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Post by exkiwiforces on Apr 15, 2014 23:53:03 GMT 12
Found this at work on the Janes Defence "International Defence Review" 14Apr 2014.
Looks like the RNZN are finally sorting the issues with the 2 OPV's. Its a real shame that the Government took the very cheap option with a limited room for any major upgrades for the future. It appears to be no data link from surface to sub-surface sensor systems to give the Ops crew an overall Tactical picture, does that mean there is no data link between the Ship and any Airborne ISR assets that are operating over the horizon when all that money has been spent on the P3K2 sensor upgrade and the ISR sensor fit on the Super Seasprites you would've been a must have?
The Royal New Zealand Navy's (RNZN's) ice-capable offshore patrol vessel (OPV) HMNZS Otago returned from the challenging conditions of the Southern Ocean in early 2014, having put a range of operationally developed upgrades to the test on extended patrols as far as the Ross Sea, some 2,500 n miles from its home port.
Otago had been deployed to support the country's Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) in Operation 'Castle', which saw the vessel conduct fisheries surveillance and deterrence operations during the Southern Hemisphere spring and summer seasons between the second half of 2013 and early 2014.
The Otago class was acquired through the New Zealand Ministry of Defence's (MoD's) far-reaching Project Protector fleet recapitalisation programme for the RNZN.
Project Protector was largely shaped by a series of reviews of New Zealand's maritime security strategy, in particular the February 2001 Maritime Forces Review (MFR), an inter-organisational assessment that involved not only the MoD and the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF), but also key government agencies and organisations including the Customs Service, the Maritime Safety Authority (renamed 'Maritime New Zealand' in 2005), the Ministry of Fisheries (now a part of MPI), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), and the New Zealand Police.
The MFR identified a number of requirements that were unable to be fulfilled by existing RNZN capabilities, foremost of which was an extended patrol capability to protect the country's vast economic exclusion zone (EEZ) and search-and-rescue (SAR) region, as well as its interests in both the Southern Ocean and Ross Dependency in the Antarctic. The MFR also identified a requirement to assist other South Pacific states with EEZ protection and stability operations. Therefore, after a two-year selection process, a NZD500 million (USD433 million) contract was awarded to Australian shipbuilding firm Tenix Defence on 29 July 2004 to build seven new vessels for the RNZN: a multirole sealift vessel (MRV), two offshore patrol vessels (OPVs), and four inshore patrol vessels (IPVs).
Design considerations
Tenix Defence's winning proposal was a lengthened, helicopter-capable variant of the Kvaerner Masa Marine design that is in service in Mauritius and the Republic of Ireland. The lead vessel, Otago , was launched in November 2006 and was expected to be commissioned in January 2008. However, Otago was only delivered to the RNZN in February 2010 as a result of delays caused by unanticipated excess weight and other technical issues with its initial build. It was at least 100 tons over its planned displacement of 1,600 tons, a concern that required a lengthy mediation between the MoD and BAE Systems Australia (which acquired Tenix in 2008) to resolve the issues. Its sister ship, the HMNZS Wellington , entered service in May 2010.
The technical challenges have been immense. New Zealand has the fourth-largest EEZ in the world, covering approximately 4 million km 2 . Its 30 million km 2 SAR region is also one of the largest, encompassing a large part of the Pacific Ocean from the Equator to the Antarctic, and midway to Australia and Chile.
The desired capabilities of the Otago-class OPVs had been heavily debated during the requirements phase of Project Protector.
Ice protection for the OPVs was one of the key considerations as the ice floes in the Southern Ocean and Ross Dependency can be metres thick, depending of the time of year. The decision was eventually made to proceed with an 'entry-level' Finnish-Swedish ice-class 1C-level protection to enable the OPVs to patrol in light ice conditions, as higher levels of ice protection would have impacted on other performance parameters. For example, the OPVs are equipped with active fin stabilisers and a twin controllable-pitch propeller (CPP) and rudder system designed for versatility across the operational spectrum, but higher ice protective measures would have made the removal of any hull protuberances - such as the stabilisers - necessary.
With 1C-class protection, the OPVs are built with a protective ice belt located at the waterline of the hull that enables the vessels to operate at a speed of 4 to 6 kt in first-year sea ice up to 40 cm thick. Nevertheless, the RNZN told IHS Jane's that Otago 's crew are required to be 'extremely vigilant' due to the presence of complex ice forms in the Southern Ocean and Ross Sea, which could include navigational hazards such as glacial ice formations that are formed and compressed over thousands of years.
Equipment and winterisation
The RNZN told IHS Jane's that Otago 's surface-detection and navigation equipment fit was not designed specifically for Antarctic operations, but has been refined by the RNZN based on operational experience.
The electronic charting and communication systems fitted to Otago are either comparable to existing equipment within the RNZN fleet or are commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) equipment. The navigation system, for example, consists of commercially sourced Furuno X- and S-band radars with an output of 25 kHz and 60 kHz, respectively, which have been designed to meet the MFR performance requirements with additional rotary aircraft approach-monitoring capabilities. An RNZN spokesman stated that through the experience of operating the OPVs during Operation 'Castle' the RNZN had discovered that the Furuno systems provide excellent ice-detection capabilities with the appropriate calibration.
For underwater detection, Otago is equipped with an obstacle-avoidance sonar (OAS) system and echo sounders. The RNZN said the OAS has proven to be invaluable for Antarctic operations due to the lack of survey data for many of the coastal areas in the Ross Sea, and had been used extensively in the waters around Ross Island. The vessel has also been modified to perform a secondary military hydrographic survey role, following the decommissioning of HMNZS Resolution in 2012. The RNZN said the same Atlas Elektronik Hydrosweep MD-2 30 kHz swath multibeam sonar - which is capable of covering an area of 4,000 m at a depth of 1,000 m - was successfully trialled and accepted into Otago at the end of 2013.
Otago has also undergone extensive 'winterisation' to cope with the Antarctic conditions, including the installation of improved heating and wiper systems on the bridge windshields. The vessel also features an ice-detection light to assist the crew in spotting navigational hazards, such as ice growlers - fragments of icebergs that extend less than one metre above the surface but can be approximately 20 m 2 in size.
For ship equipment protection, the RNZN has fitted trace heating systems on critical equipment to ensure functionality at low temperatures. External protective measures include the installation of covers over exposed equipment - such as ship tank vents and the vessel's complement of rigid-hull inflatable boats (RHIBs) and other seacraft - to prevent ice build-up, as well as the use of specialised fuels and lubricants that retain low-viscosity properties at low temperatures.
Additionally, a number of trials have been conducted with novel technologies, including anti-ice coatings to Otago 's upper deck to determine if its susceptibility to deck ice accretion could be reduced and whether it enhances the removal of accumulated ice.
Current and future upgrades.
Although the full extent of future capability requirements and upgrades is still being determined based on the data and experience accrued from Operation 'Castle', the RNZN's Maritime Component Commander, Commodore John Campbell, told IHS Jane's that he does not anticipate major upgrades to the OPVs.
"The Otago class is approaching the point where all the major work has been completed and only very minor changes will be required from this point forward. Getting these ships right for the challenges faced in the extremes of the Southern Ocean and Ross Sea has been a major focus of the NZDF over the last three years," he said.
The RNZN has already begun the replacement of the MSI Defence DS 25M Autsig 25 mm gun system currently installed on both vessels with the Rafael Typhoon 25 mm remote weapon system (RWS). Trials of the Typhoon RWS are scheduled for the third quarter of 2014, with full qualification expected to be achieved before the end of the year.
Another upgrade that is currently being pursued is the development of an integrated information management system enabling its operators to fuse data from surface and sub-surface sensor systems. The RNZN said this system is aimed at enhancing the crew's situational awareness and their ability to cope with the wide-ranging missions that Otago is expected to undertake, although it declined to reveal when the development will be completed.
A number of future upgrades have also been identified, although no specific timelines were revealed. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) integration is another potential option currently being examined. Lieutenant Commander Robert McCaw, Otago 's commanding officer during Operation 'Castle', told IHS Jane's that an improved naval variant of the indigenously developed Kahu (Hawk) mini UAV, which is currently in service with the army, could be a potential option for the OPVs.
He added that the country's Defence Technology Agency is also investigating the possibility of installing temporary composite honeycomb hull forms around the ice belt section of the hull for additional protection during Antarctic patrols, which could be removed for deployments in ice-free regions.
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