When Ordering Our New Ferries...
...it makes sense to order dual purpose civilian-military ferries for the upcoming Pacific War with the Communist Chinese Regime.
Under the Chinese Communist Party 2016 National Defence Transportation Act, all ferries built in China must be built to military standard and are required to support Communist Chinese Defence requirements. The CCP understands and is preparing for the next Pacific War - as evidenced by its February 2025 rehearsed naval attack of Australia.
In both World War One and World War Two our government requested ferries for military operations. Our civilian ferry Monowai for example fought off the attacking Japanese submarine I-20 off Fiji on 16th January 1942. This civilian ferry fought off an attacking submarine because she had been equipped with self defence weapons. Likewise, designing our upcoming ferries to be Fitted For But Not With self defence weapons, such as a mount for a CIWS like HMS Aotearoa is a prudent and relatively inexpensive step when done during design and construction, and prepares them for their next 35 years of sailing up into 2060, when the South Pacific will certainly be even more of a Communist Chinese lake.
Given the Communist Chinese attacks on the sovereignty of New Zealand to the North, South, West, and East of New Zealand it makes national sense to order these ferries built to military standards for dual civilian/military use.
