It is my understanding that NZ has, more or less, two distinct types of 'zones' that require patrolling for constabulary purposes, like EEZ/resource enforcement, fisheries and pollution control, etc. Broadly, these two zones are inshore and offshore areas with the inshore area being generally within the 12 n mile limit for territorial waters, and the offshore area covering basically all the EEZ claims of NZ as well as those of various S. Pacific islands that NZ has agreements to provide EEZ patrols.
Now as Mr.C pointed out in post
#6959, it does seem as though most of the needed inshore patrolling is actually within 3 n miles and for recreational smallcraft vs. large/commercial vessels like when the maritime review was conducted nearly 20 years ago... Now I could be mistaken, but I would strongly suspect that using a 55 m IPV is a bit overkill if the vessels of concern are smallcraft, and then smaller, faster vessels which can operate more effectively close in to coastlines and require smaller crews would be more effective.
As for offshore operations, I am aware that the
Moa-class at times did operate offshore as opposed to inshore, and I would expect the newer, larger and more advanced IPV''s would have superior capabilities over the IPC's in that regards. Having said that though, the ability of the IPV's to operate in some areas of the 200 n mile EEZ limit in some conditions is not the same as the capabilities of the OPV's to operate throughout the areas of EEZ claims. As an example, I would suspect that an IPV would be hard pressed to safely transit to the Chatham Islands and then sustain patrols 200 n miles to the SE.
You are of course free to think so. At present though, it does seem as the the patrolling needs of the NZG centre largely on either closer to shore than the IPV's were really intended for, or further away from land, and especially ports suitable to operate the IPV's from. In short, the IPV's seem too large for the one role, and yet too small for the other. If that is the actual case, then I would much prefer that the NZG get the proper kit for the needed roles. I am not too fussed about whether or not the kit is operated by the RNZN, RNZNR, or some other agency or group of agencies.
Side note, given the Capital Charge which IIRC still appears on the Vote Defence budget each year, I would be delighted if several NZD$35 mil. assets were to be replaced with more effective/efficient assets. Why pay the operational costs for a 55 m vessel to do RHIB/motor launch-type work, assuming that is accurate.
