CASR
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In Detail |
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Modest Proposal |
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Coastal Patrol, Offshore Patrol, and Maritime Defence – September 2004 
Much of Canada's WWII naval experience involved Flower-class corvettes
– a much smaller warship than today's CF destroyers and frigates. The corvettes had a reputation for
'lively' sea- keeping – possibly one of the reasons why DND planners lean towards
larger offshore patrol vessels (OPV).But smaller ships still have much to recommend them if weight, equipment fit and complement are all modest. We will look at two case studies where smaller OPVs are used: Australia and, perhaps more relevant to Canada, Iceland (above, left). 
Other corvette-sized OPVs which have been gaining attention in Canada are the German- designed MEKO 100 (left,
purchased by the Malaysian navy) and the very radical Visby, a Swedish design emphasizing both stealth and
speed. The Visby is to be tested by the US Navy for its Littoral Combat Ship which will also
likely form the basis for the US Coast Guard's Deepwater 'OPY' cutters.
We will also examine two frigate-sized OPVs: Norway's
Nordkapp and the Danish Thetis- class. The former were purpose-designed as coast guard OPVs, the
latter is an adaptation of a frigate. Ice-resistant hulls are features of both designs which makes them of
interest to DND. A stumbling block for Maritime Staff is that Canada already has fairly new frigates and
ice-resistance was never an issue.
Another frigate-sized OPV that has been mentioned in Canadian Senate hearings is the Nakhoda Ragam class ( Brunei's Yarrow - designed
vessels). The senators were told that the 'weapons fit' and equipment of the Nakhoda Ragam would
be unsuited to CF requirements.[1][1] Canada uses the same gun but not the Nakhoda Ragam's Seawolf or Exocet missiles. A dispute arose over the Nakhoda Ragam class and the three ships sat at Scotstoun for five years, Brunei refusing to accept them. They sold to Algeria. |
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