shipJGR
New Member
Reading the discussion of New Zealand purchasing Harry DeWolf class AOPSs reminds me of a question I had that may be worth a speculative post. Should New Zealand and Canada forge a close cooperative defence agreement (at least for their navies)?
Even though New Zealand is spending less money, it appears that a lot of what the two countries are doing is complementary.
Even though New Zealand is spending less money, it appears that a lot of what the two countries are doing is complementary.
- The AOPS is certainly an option for New Zealand and with opposite seasons you could easily envision some sort of sharing agreement. A jointly owned ship may even be a possibility.
- Pooling UNREP ships results in a fleet of three very capable ships. Certainly better for scheduling than one or two each. The MV Asterix could be useful, too.
- Adding one or two CSCs for New Zealand later in the program after the costs drop may be an option. Again, an additional jointly owned CSC could be useful in order to ensure availability for lower cost.
- HMNZS Canterbury and the additional proposed New Zealand “LPD” provide a capability desired by Canada, but that is not in the NSS. Plus, Canada should be willing to foot some of the costs.