Feature 1 | AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND
Australia and New Zealand sail on together
Te definition of an optimist is one who sees a glass half full while a pessimist is a person who sees a glass half empty. Where the Royal Australian Navy is concerned there are pessimists while the Royal New Zealand Navy is full of optimists
T
he reason for this state of affairs is that New Zealand has almost completed a naval re-equipment
programme while Australia is halfway through one and is encountering growing problems. The two countries have had close defence ties symbolised by the name of their common class of frigates, the MEKO 200-based ANZAC, which stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps which distinguished itself in the First World War. In late June, the Australian Defence
Department launched a major review of its strategic dispositions. Tis is linked to a similar review in Washington and will consider moving more forces to Western Australia. Te US may increase its presence in the region and make more use of Australian bases, which is reinforcing its forces in the Pacific Rim
region.Meanwhile, on 24 June Australia and New Zealand concluded an agreement for a bilateral ready-response force to plan and train for emergency response missions in the Pacific. New Zealand’s two frigates, HMNZS Te
Kaha and Te Mana, were commissioned in 1997 and 1999 respectively and are receiving platform systems upgrades including replacing the MTU 12V 1163 TB93 diesels, as well as the engineering control and monitoring system as well as enhancing stability. Plans exist for a self-defence upgrade but separately their Phalanx systems have been upgraded to Block 1B status.
Project Protector Wellington last year completed its ‘Project Protector’ programme aimed at replacing a fleet of vessels including four Moa class patrol boats and HMNZS Charles Upham, a leased ro-ro used for strategic transport and replacements for two extra Anzacs
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The Royal Australian Navy is mid-way through a re-equipment programme for its surface fleet and is planning new submarines.
which had been planned but not funded. Te contract to design and produce the
project’s vessels was awarded to Australia’s Tenix Defence (now BAE Systems Australia) and the first vessel to arrive in 2007 was the 8870tonne multi-role HMNZS Canterbury but Protector has proved controversial. Serious problems have been encountered with the three largest ships, each capable of carrying a helicopter, Canterbury and the two Protector class offshore patrol vessels, the last of which was delivered in April 2010, two years late, as replacements for the cancelled Anzacs. Canterbury is used as a strategic transport
which can be used for humanitarian operations within the region and is also the Royal New Zealand Navy’s principal sea training platform, although there are limitations on her operating conditions. In
part these have been due to major design problems including poor sea-keeping in high seas, flooding of the cargo deck, problems with ship’s boats and the need to replace two landing craft. As a result BAE Systems has had to pay A$85 million (US$90 million) to remedy faults in the ship and replace the landing craſt but this work is well advanced. Engine problems have been encountered
in HMNZS Protector and the need to strengthen the hulls to ensure they can operate in Antarctic ice meant their displacement was reportedly around 300tonnes over the specification. The 1600tonne Protector class, replacements for the cancelled ANAZAC, is based on a STX Canada Marine design also used by Eire and Mauritius. Only the smallest vessels, the lightly armed, 340tonne, Lake class inshore patrol craſt – based upon Tenix’
Warship Technology October 2011
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