40 deg south
Well-Known Member
To be honest, nobody knows what we are looking for at present. The previous government wanted a 'southern OPV' with ice strengthening capable of patrolling the sub-antarctic waters south of New Zealand. The current 85m OPVs go down there each year, but take a beating if the weather turns bad.I would also be interested to see the mission profile of the Coast Guard versions and any changes that are required that will inflate the price. If our politicians were smart they would be paying attention to the Kiwi's and offering up a spot on the line for a De Wolfe at a decent price, from my understanding they are already looking at something similar if not the same already.
The current government promised an updated Defence Capability Plan by the end of 2018. Then early 2019. Then (from memory) April 2019. When it will appear, and what will be in it, are anyone's guess. The proposed southern OPV is unlikely to strike any real political opposition, but the government may simply be unwilling to spend the money. The annual budget is being released next week - it is possible some news will emerge then.