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In Detail

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Until very recently, DND has been happy to leave Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) within the purview
of the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG).  Now it seems that Maritime Staff is seriously considering an OPV for the Canadian Forces. In these pages we’ll look at some of the issues surrounding the OPV as well as review OPVs of different sizes and capabilities
as used by a select group of other countries.

[Update: DND has since announced that Arctic patrol ships will double as OPVs.]

The pages listed below can be read in series or individually. It should be noted that there is no agreed on definition for the term ‘OPV’.  It runs the gamut from a modest patrol boats to lightly armed warships –  ranging from small corvettes up to full-sized  frigates.  But  there  is one area of agreement. The OPV’s key role is protecting its nation’s  Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs).
[For details of the DND OPV plans, see AOPS, DELMS contract award, & capabilities/TSOR.]

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  •   Offshore Patrol Vessels  –  Decisions, Decisions... OPVs for the CF?

  •   A Review of Existing OPV Types – Corvette-sized  (or Smaller)  OPVs

  •   Australian Patrol Boats – the Fremantle, Bay, and new Armidale OPV

  •   Iceland’s Coast Guard  –  a Case-Study for the Corvette-sized OPV

  •   A Review of Existing OPV Types – Frigate-Sized, Ice-Resistant OPVs

  •   Size & Storage – Maritime Helicopter Issues for Offshore Patrol Vessels

       Sea Boots for the CH-146 – A Case for 'Sea Griffons' aboard CF OPVs?

•  Also see:  Offshore Patrol Vessels   •   Comparitive Specification Tables,
    and  The Kingston Class:  is it  'Mid-Life'  or  Move Over  for  the MCDV?