A Lurssen / Lürssen or Luerssen OPV-80. Some are already in our region in the Royal Brunei Navy (Darussalam class). There are also Lurssen OPV 85s and OPV 90s (Photo courtesy pinterest).
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On November 24, 2017 Australia's (current) Prime Minister Turnbull and two headed Pyne/Payne Defence Ministry announced that Germany's Lürssen had won the Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) competition. The OPV is likely to weigh a minimum of 1800 tonnes and maximum of 2,700 tonnes depending on the model chosen and how many stores and how much fuel it holds on a given mission.
The OPV will have a helicopter, at least two 7.62mm or 0.50 calibre machine guns, likely 57mm or 76mm cannon and no missiles.
This competition is designated SEA 1180 and concerns the building of :
- the first 2 OPVs from late 2018 in Osborne, Adelaide, South Australia. Just 2 to encourage
continuous building and avoid the no shipbuilding scenario called the "Valley of Death". Then
oddly.
- the remaining 10 OPVs to be built at Henderson, part of Perth, Western Australia.
COMMENT
As well as the inefficiences of a two location build a problematic mix of shipbuilders in the consortium may occur rapidly as Lürssen is partnered with and/or reliant on three companies (!) ASC, Civmec and Austal for the build.
Pete