Now that primeminister john key says no more spending , i doubt if there will be any more new frigates ( with actual weapons).
I wonder if we could secure a few second hand ex royal navy ships to replace , endevour and bring the navy up to the 3 frigate minimum that australia demands.
Govt Departments (defence included) are being asked to review their expenditure and seek efficiencies where possible on their existing budgets. For example, the finance minister says, from:
Beehive - Budget frees another $1.8b for priority spending
"The Government will continue to weed out low quality spending. We will live within the $1.1 billion annual operating allowance for new spending we have set ourselves, and restrict annual increases in this figure to 2 per cent from 2011/12."
Mr English repeated that most Government agencies would receive no budget increases over the next three or four years, as the Government moved to get back to Budget surplus as soon as possible.
"It's clear from the work we've done so far that there is considerable scope to provide better public services by improving processes, removing duplication and reallocating resources from low quality spending to improve frontline public services.
But if you read the rest of that article and the full speech here:
Beehive - Speech to the Wellington Regional Chamber of Commerce
You will see that some monies are being freed up for the 2010 budget. As the economy improves, you may see more money being freed up but at this point in time, I wouldn't expect any
major defence expenditure increases within the next 3 years or so, although previous signals have suggested that defence is an area that will see some small incremental increases. So not all doom and gloom despite the economic environment.
For the Frigates then, the signals put out previously is that budgeting for their replacement in the mid-late 2020's is being planned for (we have to wait until the defence review is released to find out what the Govt is actually planning for and whether it is more than 2 new builds). In the short term the Navy resources are being committed to working up on the new Protector patrol fleet and to fill some critical manning shortages on the Frigate fleet. Because of these, there's no real need to acquire a 3rd Frigate just yet, but hopefully within a few years as personnel gain experience and come thru the ranks, and if the Govt deems that it needs the Navy to meet its expected "outputs" in terms of supporting foreign policy, then perhaps a 3rd Frigate could be on the cards, assuming something suitable can be found. With the NZ-US relationship leaping ahead due to the changes of Govt in both countries since late 2008, I would expect to see more Navy-Navy cooperation and it could be that Govt deems naval patrol (Protector) and combat assets (frigates) be a meaningful and visible means to improve the relationship, so that potentially could also clear the way ahead to acquire a 3rd frigate (should Govt wish to see more support of international efforts in the Gulf, Indian Ocean or possibly even SE/NE Asia), or it could be more patrol assets (eg OPV's or OCV's) in efforts to improve better policing efforts and visibilty in the Pacific (more benign, but also seeing increased rising power influence). I don't think the RNZN will be downgraded as a result, more likely, improved in some form or another.
On the other hand, things can go pear-shape quite easily in defence, for example as we hear publically more about the defects of the Canterbury (and we'll soon be finding out whether the OPV's have any hidden faults as they enter service), time, money and effort can easily be wasted or distracted by having to deal with these issues, which could slow down efforts to get the Navy to 100% (as the delays and re-orientations in the early to mid 2000's caused, and are still having residue effects to this day etc).
In the meantime the current Frigates do need a self-defence upgrade (ESSM has to be a given, new torpedos and associated sensors etc), and because of Project Protector freeing up the Frigates to better support Govt policy in the wider Asia-Pacific-Gulf area, it would also be a given that this will happen, although to what extent and the timing of which, remains to be seen.
Good times for the Navy ahead, and the Air Force and aspects of the Army in terms of the recognition that securing NZ's maritime sphere (collectively with others) is critical to NZ's economic well-being and standing with the bigger players. Although don't expect NZ to do anything radical as Australia in terms of improving the wide spectrum of its capabilities, alas, for economic reasons and slightly different strategic realities.
Having said that, forget "isolationism" and "independence" that came about naturally as a result of the 1980's ANZUS fallout, even the (NZ) players then that played their hand to cause the fallout, realised when they gained power themselves in the 2000's they found out the realities and practicalties of the complex world of inter-twinning interests and needs*, saw the start of the acceleration of efforts to get back into the club so to speak (unfortunately after the initial hubris saw the gutting and cutting of defence combat capabilities) and now we're not likely to see again such a radical departure in terms of defence/relationships from either of the two main parties!
(* thanks mainly to AQ and 9/11 - their unintended consequences brought NZ back into the US fold - the dipsticks. As well as other regional problems eg ET, Bali & places in the pacific etc).
~207 kg, I doubt that there would be any desire to move the missile about within the ship any more than the absolute minimum.
