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Post by tfly on May 18, 2014 7:41:20 GMT 12
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Post by exkiwiforces on May 31, 2014 18:29:22 GMT 12
The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) is looking into the possibility of acquiring a third offshore patrol vessel (OPV) for the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN).
The RNZN currently operates two 85 m Otago-class OPVs, HMNZS Otago and HMNZS Wellington , commissioned in February and May 2010, respectively. The vessels have a range of 6,000 n miles and can carry a core crew of 35 and a flight crew of 10 for its helicopters. Both ships are deployed in long-range patrol missions around New Zealand, the Pacific, and Southern Oceans.
"We learned that offshore patrol vessels cost a lot less to run [than frigates]," said Lieutenant Commander Owen Gee from the NZDF on 14 May at the MilSatCom Asia Pacific 2014 conference in Singapore. "If acquired, we plan to utilise it in a constabulary role and this releases our frigates for other operations."
Lt Cdr Gee cited fiscal challenges as a factor in the navy's turn towards increasing the number of OPVs in its fleet. The NZDF needs to reconcile increasing operational demands with the government's target of saving between NZD350 million (USD302 million) to NZD450 million in armed forces spending per annum by 2014/2015.
Lt Cdr Gee also revealed that the NZDF plans to equip all three OPVs with satellite communication systems. "We have an Exclusive Economic Zone 15 times the size of the New Zealand land mass. There is no way we can rely on terrestrial communications. We will have to equip our vessels with satellite communications," Lt Cdr Gee said.
No timeline or specifications of the possible OPV acquisition was provided.
IHS Jane's reported on 18 March that the RNZN is considering the possibility of upgrading its Otago-class OPVs with the capability to launch and recover unmanned aerial vehicles, although no concrete plans have yet been confirmed.
"I think pigs might fly before the Senior service gets a third OPV, when one views the current/future NZDF shopping list".
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Post by meo4 on Jun 3, 2014 20:59:47 GMT 12
You would be surprised , there's already two projects to replace Endevour and Manawanui.
Recently the Treasury has been happy to fund maritime projects eg , frigate upgrades , seasprite replacements etc.
This Govt seems to understand the importance of maritime enviroment to NZ 15 times land mass 99 percent of trade etc.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 4, 2014 0:09:02 GMT 12
Has the RNZN gotten past its inability in the recent past to be able to find crews for the ships it already has? There was talk on here of new ships sitting anchored with no-one to crew them. I take it if they are looking at buying an additional ship, has the manning crisis well and truly passed?
Could we see this new OPV named HMNZS Waikato to follow the trend of naming new vessels after our dead frigates?
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