Firstly I must state that I was always for the Lynx – I am ashamed to say, I do not know what makes the Australian Defense Force ADF tick at times!
They have had the uncanny ability to take a good idea (and already working weapons platform and through a spanner into it, to turn it into an over cost lemon – i.e. – Collins Class sub, Seasprite, Jindalee OHR

Secondly – I think we have made a big mistake in failing to go on with the Australian / Malaysian Joint OPV purchase, or an all Australian OPV. For although the new Armadale Class patrol boats are an improvement over the Fremantle Class PB`s, they are still lacking in endurance and combat capability.

Regards
Pioneer

You have to look at the requirements, thats what drives the projects.

The RAN needed a large and capable SSK that could transit 5,000 miles, maintain station for an extended period then transit back. No one was making a conventional sub that could do that, so the requirement needed some development work. Kockums stepped up and said we can do this. Turned out they were almost right. The almost part is what delayed the boats initial IOC. The software issues were another matter and common to navies the world over.

The Seasprite was a mistake, one which should have never have been ordered. The preferred model was additional Sea Hawks with an ASUW tasking, to match the surveillance and ASW tasked S70B2 already in service.

Jindalee is pretty much the world standard when it comes to OTHB radars, it can track aircraft landing in Hong Kong when conditions are good. The delay was not in the technical engineering side, it was in the software integration for what was an immensely difficult task. Once again not unique to Australia.

The Joint OPV was dead in the water, except for the fantasies of a few politicians and Tenix. The Malaysian’s simply did not have the money for the number of OPVs required, as can be seen by the long and painful gestation period of their chosen solution.

The Tenix design, of which I have a small image and for which I am seeking a decent plan to build a 1/72 scale R/C model, was interesting but was not marketed well by Tenix, despite the RAN’s reluctant endorsement.

The only area that the Armidale’s could be said to be lacking capability is in their inability to operate a UAV or helicopter. Apart from that they are perfect for what they are designed to do, intercept people smugglers, illegal fisherman and drug smugglers. The armament is sufficiant for the role and is apparently turning out to be extremely accurate, just what is required for well placed warning shots or for knocking out rudders and screws.

What else do they need to do their job? Harpoon? Barak? Brahmos?

Keep the requirement in mind, a vast array of coastline facing a low tech threat. That does not need a few large and capable vessels, it needs a large number of low level capability vessels, rather than a few major warfighting platforms that will spend their life burdoned with capability and systems that will not be required for their role.

Tenix is trying to interest the RAN or Fisheries in a small number of OPVs almost identical to the Project Protector OPVs for the RNZN, for operations in the Great Southern Ocean, that is a project that may happen, with Fisheries chosen as the relevant authority.

Of course, if there is a change of Government then an Australian Coast Guard is a Labour policy, in which the Armidales will probably be hived off from the Navy into the Coast Guard.

Unicorn