Construction of the first Arafura-class Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) that will be built in Western Australia has commenced, marking a new milestone in the program for an eventual 12 ships under Project SEA 1180.
This will be the third of twelve Arafura class OPVs, and the first to be built at the Civmec shipyard in Henderson, Western Australia following the first two ships which are being built in Osborne, South Australia by Luerssen Australia and ASC.
Minister for Defence, Senator Linda Reynolds said this is the next step in the government’s continuous naval shipbuilding program.
“This Government’s investment in Australia’s naval shipbuilding program demonstrates our commitment to strong border protection over greater distances than is currently possible, and our commitment in the local economy and creating more jobs for Australian workers,” Minister Reynolds said.
Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price said the OPV program is a key foundation in the Government’s enhancement of Australia’s industrial skill base, growing both capacity and workers’ skills to build and maintain Australia’s sovereign maritime capability.
She added that “the Arafura program is creating jobs across the supply-chain, and I have heard first-hand from over 100 Aussie businesses about how they are benefiting from being an essential part of construction,”
Ten of the twelve OPVs will be constructed by Luerssen Australia and Civmec at Henderson in Western Australia under SEA1180. The OPVs are based on the Luerssen OPV80 design, and will replace and improve upon the capability delivered by the Armidale Class and Cape Class Patrol Boats which entered service in 2005.
The OPVs will have a helicopter landing pad, although the first three vessels will not have any aviation capability built in due to the need to start construction as a matter of urgency. This will likely be retrofitted, while future vessels will operate the future unmanned Vertical Take-Off and Landing system that is being procured under Project SEA 129.
They need a minimum of a 57mm canon and two 20mm guns, not a 40mm and two 12.7mm MG
The OPV’s are very under gunned, they need a missile box big time, perception is everything , its like taking a knife to a gun fight , we are living in a very different and fluid world now …
Old school thinking. Future Navy should be using aerial drones and UWV.
This article states that the OPV will be able to land manned helicopters. The CEO of Lurssen is quoted in APDR as saying that the Arafura class does not have a manned helicopter capable flightdeck because this capability was never asked for.
I get that the Arafura Class will predominately use the ships flight deck for unmanned aerial vehicles,but I find it illogical that the RAN would under engineer an existing design capable of landing a medium sized helicopter…………..I’d be surprised if its true.
Why would we forfeit the ability to land a MRH-90 Taipan or
Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk on the Arafura Class.
Regards
It is sad, but true. For reasons that remain completely opaque, the RAN actually requested that the deck strengthening in place for the parent Brunei ships be removed, rendering the Australian OPVs incapable of helicopter landings. This seems bizarre – but it’s the world of Defence decision making that we now live in.
Appreciate the reply.
I cannot help but think the OPV selection was a missed opportunity to procure something that was more robust.
Something that could still do the constabulary stuff, but also be a contributor to the fleet for many a contingency short of a high end conflict.
I hope with the announcement of up to eight mine / Hydrographic vessels potentially based on the Arafura Class;that these ships together with the 12 OPV’s, can be split into two classes.
One of the current design and the other of a larger size with an uninterrupted flight deck and hanger with space and weight for additional “kit”.
Fingers crossed.
Regards
It was recently reported in the August Defence Technology Review magazine that –
” DTR understands that each vessel batch will not be progessively updated or evolved as originally thought, but rather the last OPV will largely resemble the first in a cookie-cutter approach to capability delivery.”
This is most disappointing and ignores the potential for a more flexible and versatile vessel.
why do we muck around ?these vessels firstly need a VLS missile suite amini gun a CWS& why have a flight deck with no hanger . look at some of the corvettes around our local Navies , they are arned like destroyers .So what do we do adopt a ship that is one jump up from a patrol boat . we have too many ships that cannot fight now , our 5 biggest ships have no teeth. I believe we live in very dangerous times ,but as usual we only go half way to a naval build up, look how long it took to build 3 AWD,s when we should have built 6. get the finger out & get building fighting ships , I fear we are going to need them.