The elephant in the room is Chinas activities in the South China Sea. This is why twelve submarines and twelve high end surface combatants now (apparently) has bipartisan support. Its the reason regional navies, whose light combatants already had 35-120mm guns and anti ship missiles are now getting, or being replaced by vessels with SHORADs, ASW and MCM systems. Along side regional light combatants the Armidales look either incomplete or as if the are converted pleasure craft.Which sort of turns this debate about armament levels on the 12 future OPV's full circle.
Does anyone really believe that the OPV's will have a greater level of firepower above and beyond the ACPB's? I don't.
I would expect to see them fitted with a main 25mm Typhoon mount (or similar, maybe even recycled from the ACPB's) and a couple of 50 cal too, I'd be pretty surprised to see them with a 57mm, let alone a 76mm main gun, just can't see a 76mm happening.
The OPV's will certainly be much more capable ships that the ACPB's, much larger, greater endurance, greater range, etc, but to me that says more about the ACPB's not being up to the job at hand rather than an expectation of a more significantly heavily armed larger OPV and evolving them into OCV's.
At the very sharp teeth end of things, the RAN is going to end up with 12 large AWD's / Frigates (up from 11), and lets not forget the doubling in size of the submarine fleet too.
Do we actually need more 'combat' capable ships? And if the answer is yes, then what would be suitable to increase the combat capabilities of the RAN?
The most obvious answer to me would be to increase the size of the AWD / Frigate fleet beyond the current planned 12.
The next level down would be to introduce a class of Patrol Frigate / LCS type ships, and that would probably mean a class of ships of at least 3000t, be large enough to carry a reasonable amount and variety of armament types (and this is where the potential to 'recycle' equipment from the FFG's and possibly Anzacs could happen).
To me that is still a 'very big if' that is unlikely to happen, my other concern is that such a move could also see a reduction in the larger AWD / Frigate fleet to be able to afford that new capability.
Anyway, just my opinion!!
An OPV with a medium calibre gun in addition to one or more Typhoons (or Mini Typhoons) and various modular systems, that could potentially include SHORAD or a naval point defence missile, will be able to operate throughout our region in anything short of a major conflict while something no better armed ir equiped than an Armidale will not.
There was a perceived need for well armed light combatants (corvettes/sloops/light frigates/FACs) going back to when the last of the Bathursts, Rivers and Bays retired and things have gotten worse not better. The plan when the OPC/Corvette was cancelled was to upgrade all six FFGs with SM-2, ESSM and an advanced new combat system (FFGUP) while also upgrading the ANZACS with AEGIS and SPY-1F, SM-2 as well as ESSM (ANZAC WIP) for fourteen high end combatants, instead of eight tier 1, eight tier 2 and eight to twelve tier 3. While a reduction in numbers this was an increase in capability was capped of with the decision to acquire three or four AWDs to replace the older FFGs.
With so many high end ships and the additional capability the Super Sea Sprites were intended to bring it was thought we could get away with patrol boats instead of corvettes. WIP proved unworkable, FFGUP delivered nowhere new the expected capability, Super Sea Sprite was cancelled and the Armidales have been extremely disappointing meaning we never achieved what was seen as the necessary minimum capability prior to Chinas unexpectedly assertive expansion. I would say the is evey justification in arming the OPVs with something better than a 25mm Typhoon and a couple of 50cals.