Some home truths!
Very good points Tommel, and something that we have discussed on the other sight that I write for!
I was in the Royal Australian Navy and some of the patrols that we have done has been in relation to piracy acts in the Malacca straight, our FCPB’s regularly go up top on patrols in this area and more often than not come up against a better equiped force opposing them.
Some of the weapons that I personally have seen on FFV’s (Foreign Fishing Vessels), are Otto-Melara 76mm (3″) D.P. guns, Maverick (ASM’s- fitted out to be fired from a ship) and of coarse, Stingers. I have also seen alot of old soviet era weapons that can still do damage.
This is serious concern to our navy, our FCPB’s (Freemantle Class Patrol Boats) are only armed with Bofors 40/60mm Guns on the forward deck and two .50cal mg’s. The 81mm Mortar that originally was mounted aft, was removed along time ago.
This heightens the debate over a replacement Patrol Boat carring a helo aft, should the government really want to push the tide of priacy back, then clearly the only real opption is to precure the Tenix design. Tenix have been active on this replacement for the past 20 years, since they were part of ADF Australia. Since the opening up of the military sector of buisness here in Australia, Tenix has been at the spearhead of every major defence contract.
If you wish to view the tenix offer for the replacement, or any other product that they have on offer (e.g. Malaysia’s boats being built by Tenix) then here is the web site.
http://www.tenix.com.au
Couple this offer with an increase in SH-2G(A)’s and a fleet of say 6 RQ-4A Globalhawks (of which there is a new Maritime Patrol Version being built with the ability to carry a weapons load, no word yet on weapons fit, but posibily designated the RQ-4B) and Australia will be able to do much more in the war against piracy!
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