Harry DeWolf-class offshore patrol vessel
Canada has adopted this class for their OPV's 6 are planned for the Royal Canadian Navy and 2 for the Canadian Coast Guard. They have a Polar Class 5 hull compared to our current OPV's Polar Class 6
| Type: | Arctic/offshore patrol vessel |
| Displacement: | 6,615 t (6,511 long tons) |
| Length: | 103.6 m (339 ft 11 in) |
| Beam: | 19 m (62 ft 4 in) |
| Ice class: | Polar Class 5 |
| Installed power: | Four 3.6 MW (4,800 hp) diesel generators |
| Propulsion: | Diesel-electric; two shafts (2 × 4.5 MW (6,000 hp)) |
| Speed: |
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| Range: | 6,800 nmi (12,600 km; 7,800 mi) |
| Boats & landing craft carried: |
Two multi-role rescue boats - ABCO Industries 12 m (39 ft) landing craft |
| Complement: | 65 (RCN) |
| Sensors and processing systems: |
SATCOM (Link 16), Multichannel VHF/HF Radio, Anti-missile detect systems; OSI Maritime Systems, Integrated Bridge Navigational System; SAGEM Damage/Machinery Control Systems |
| Armament: |
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| Aircraft carried: |
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| Aviation facilities: |
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I believe size wise she would meet the Southern Ocean and be able to handle it considering the current OPV's are 85m and 1900t. There is a whole section in the SOPV Project where they talk about the wave length and how it is pretty unique to the southern ocean. Meaning the the vessel needs to be built to be able to handle it. Polar class 5 means year-round operation in medium first-year ice, which may include old ice inclusions, where our current OPV's are limited Summer/autumn operation in medium first-year ice, which may include old ice inclusions which is Polar Class 6.
This is obvious that it is most people's choice of vessel, but, I think it is a little on expensive and probably outside of our budget. Also it was designed for the Arctic Oceans on the Southern Oceans which have different wave lengths and patterns and can be a lot rougher and unpredicatable compared to the Arctic Oceans... This will be the dilemma with all the choices on this list.
Cost was in 2007 and is being built in Canada $2.3 Billion to construct 6. That is $383,333,333 Canadian dollars per ship in 2007 to construct (there was extra cost involved including design etc.) But since it is already designed we can just build another at the end of the run. So let's do the conversion it be $438,830,416.29 NZD in 2020 dollars $559,171,662. with around 2% inflation rate in 2024 roughly when contracts would be sighed all of a sudden $605,265,389.91. the budget is 300m to 600 million. So we are right up on the upper echelon of the budget.
Now things can be done to lower costs, get it built in South Korea, and maybe stick with the polar class 6 hull as are the HMNZS Aotearoa and the 2 current OPV's Otago and Wellington.
