Posted here to keep from going OT in the RAN thread:
Tod
Very good points. It's worth bearing in mind that the NZ OPV's were very much built down to a price, by a government that concluded we were living in a 'benign strategic environment' (to quote the then-PM). Post-cold-war wishful thinking was at its peak, so the air combat wing was disestablished and a life-extension programme for the P-3Cs didn't bother to include updating their underwater surveillance capabilities.
The OPVs were seen as a cheap way of doing EEZ surveillance and general constabulary work, as well as flying the flag to our nearby Pacific neighbors.'Anti-piracy' was a phrase that hadn't been widely used in over a century, and the spectre of Islamic terrorism hadn't yet emerged.
(Incidentally, rumour has it that the ice strengthening has reduced weight margins to the point where discussion of significant up-gunning is probably irrelevant).
Now they are fully in service, the OPVs appear to do what they were designed for well and cheaply. As regular readers here may know, the just-retired NZ Chief of Navy was an energetic advocate, lobbying the government to sell off two (from 4 hulls) of the much more limited IPVs in order to fund a third OPV.
Australia's OPVs will, perhaps unfortunately, be designed for much more troubled times. That said, many of the fit-out suggestions here stretch the boundaries of what is plausible and affordable. I'd expect a much better sensor and comms fit-out than NZ, a somewhat larger main gun, and a helicopter weapons magazine. Go much beyond that and you are looking at moving into frigate territory.
To me, the point of an OPV is getting more hulls into the water with modest-sized crews to increase the navy's presence and handle low-end tasks, freeing up frigates and more specialised vessels for high-end operations.If OPVs aren't cheap and cheerful, why build them at all?
I am aware of what the then-PM seemed to think about the NZ strategic environment. Hence my comment about ideology...
Part of my issue was and is, the degree to which it seemed that ideology played in the decision making process. A naval asset like an OPV (or other major military purchase) is going to be a long serving asset. Heck, the backbone of the RNZAF airlift are Vietnam era C-130H's which are most likely older than any of the service personnel who now come in contact with them.
With the fact that the OPV's might see 30+ years of service, it would seem sensible to allow for a bit of flexibility in terms of their potential future taskings. Granted the ice strengthening debacle negatively impacted future growth margins, a couple of fairly minor changes in design would still have permitted a greater range of future response options, and likely not had a significant impact on either cost or displacement.
These changes I have in mind would be first to have a space aft able to mount a second 25mm gun, or a 20mm Mk 15 Phalanx CIWS. The second the potential to swap the current 25mm gun mounting for a Mk 15 Phalanx CIWS. The third to have a magazine in the helicopter hangar, to permit an armed response using a naval helicopter.
Now an OPV is indeed intended to be a comparatively low cost, ocean-going patrol asset, with a significantly lower cost than a warship like a frigate. To give an OPV capabilities which approach that of a frigate, or even a comparbly sized corvette, would drastically increase the price. However, when compared to OPV's in service with other navies, the RNZN OPV's have a much lower degree of armament. This potential issue is compounded by the sheer scope of area which the NZDF is potentially going to be patrolling, and the relative remoteness. Looking at the Irish Naval Service as an example, virtually all of their OPV's are armed with either a 57mm or 76mm gun. Further, while the Irish Defence Forces might not able to respond to certain threats, RAF and RN forces are not too far away if something were threatening Ireland proper. The Irish OPV's are also sufficiently capable to participate in low threat operations well away from Ireland in task forces as well.
Had perhaps just a little bit more forethought been given, and/or less ideology involved in the decision, then the RNZN OPV's might have been made more flexible for future taskings.
- I think this is the file we are after
