The offshore patrol vessel Otago (left), frigate Te Kaha (centre), and inshore patrol vessel HMNZSTaupo (right) in Wellington in 2010. Otago and Taupo were developed under Project Protector.
Project Protector was a Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) procurement project that was undertaken during the 2000s. At the start of the decade, the New Zealand government tasked the New Zealand Defence Force to develop an equal combat, peacekeeping, and disaster relief capability, in which the RNZN was to focus on conducting sealift operations and patrols of the Economic Exclusion Zone. A series of reviews found that the RNZN was lacking in these capabilities, and Project Protector was established to acquire three new ship types: a single multi-role sealift ship, two offshore patrol vessels, and four inshore patrol vessels. After a two-year information-gathering and tender process, an Australian company, Tenix Defence, was selected as the primary contractor.
The sealift ship, HMNZSCanterbury, was built by Dutch company Merwede Shipyard in Rotterdam, and based on a commercial roll-on/roll-off ferry built for the Isle of Man. In mid-2007, the ship became the first Project Protector vessel to enter service, but problems during her early career required a remedial program to be put in place. The two Protector class offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) were built by Tenix at its Melbourne, Australia, shipyard to a design used by the Irish Naval Service, but several design mistakes resulted in the ships being 100 tons heavier than planned, and the OPVs were not commissioned until 2010. Four Protector class inshore patrol vessels (IPVs) were built at Tenix's North Island shipyard, and entered service during 2009. Because of the delay in bringing the ships to active duty (all seven were due into service by the end of 2007), BAE Systems Australia (which had acquired Tenix in 2008) was required to pay a compensatory settlement to the RNZN in early 2010.
Background
In the June 2000 Defence Policy Framework (DPF), the New Zealand government identified that the New Zealand Defence Force had to be equally capable of both combat and peacekeeping operations.[1] From the navy's perspective, prioritisation was given to sealift and transport of New Zealand Army units and equipment, and to maritime surveillance of both New Zealand's 3,000,000-square-kilometre (1,200,000sqmi)Economic Exclusion Zone (EEZ), and the EEZs of allied South Pacific nations.[1][2] The RNZN was also required to develop a non-military operational capability that would allow it to undertake tasks such as disaster relief, throughout the region.[1]
To identify if the RNZN could meet the capabilities identified in the DPF, the government initiated the Maritime Patrol Review (MPR), which was released in February 2001, followed by the more ship-specific Maritime Forces Review (MFR), which commenced in May 2001 and was released in January 2002.[1][2][3] These reviews were not Ministry of Defence-only affairs: input was sought from other government ministries and bodies, including the Ministry of Fisheries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the New Zealand Customs Service, the New Zealand Police, and Maritime New Zealand.[3] These reviews identified that the RNZN did not meet the capability requirements identified in the DPF.[3] The main areas identified as lacking were patrol capabilities, both in the EEZ and inshore, and a sealift capability to transport personnel, equipment, and supplies throughout the region for both military and relief operations.[1] The MFR also found that the navy's two Anzac class frigates were both overcapable and too few in number to effectively patrol New Zealand's waters, and that tying them up on these duties prevented their use on more suitable deployments.[1]
Around the same time as the reviews, the RNZN was looking to replace the training frigate HMNZSCanterbury, which was due to be retired in 2005.[4] The decision not to order the additional two frigates suggested under the Anzac acquisition project and the increased operational tempo during the early 2000s was straining the navy's capabilities and needed to be addressed.[1]
Requisitions
The capability gaps identified by the MFR prompted the instigation of Project Protector.[1] The "fleet renewal project" consisted of three different procurement projects to meet the identified capability requirements: a class of offshore patrol vessels to undertake EEZ operations and relieve the pressure on the Anzacs, improved inshore patrol capabilities (either through a new ship class or upgrades to the existing Moa class patrol boats), and a multi-role sealift ship.[1][4] The aim was to bring all three projects under a unified umbrella, administered by a single prime contractor.[1]
Evaluation was predicted to be completed by early 2004, with a contract awarded by mid-2004.[4] Tenix Defence was identified as the best supplier in April 2004, and the contract between the Ministry of Defence and Tenix was signed on 29 July 2004.[2] The project was predicted in 2003 to cost NZ$500 million.[4] Project Protector was the most complex project ever undertaken by New Zealand, with three ship classes (plus embarked small craft) under construction across three nations.[2] All three ships were to be built to commercial standards, and maintained like commercial vessels.[2] In order to operate the new ships, the RNZN had to recruit and train an additional 245 personnel.[2]
All seven ships were planned to enter service across 2007.[2] However, by August 2008, only the sealift ship HMNZSCanterbury had entered service, and that had occurred six months behind schedule.[6] The entry into service date for the six patrol boats was pushed back to the end of 2008.[6] Further delays meant that the last Project Protector vessel did not enter service until mid-2010.[7] In early 2010, the RNZN received a NZ$86.4 million settlement from BAE Systems Australia (which had acquired Tenix in 2008) as compensation for the delayed entry-into-service dates of the seven ships, along with defects in the sealift ship design, problems including a 100-ton displacement increase in the offshore patrol vessels, and other issues across the project.[8]
Project Protector called for a multi-role vessel with a tactical sealift capability, which would be used throughout the South Pacific region for disaster and humanitarian relief, peace support, military support, and development assistance support.[4] The vessel would also serve as the RNZN's primary at-sea training ship after the frigate Canterbury was decommissioned.[4] A limited patrol and response capability was also desired.[4] The RNZN had previously tried to establish a sealift capability with the acquisition of HMNZSCharles Upham in the mid-1990s, but attempts to convert the former roll-on/roll-off freighter were unsuccessful, and the ship was decommissioned in 2001.[1]
The ship had to be available for 160 days at sea per year, plus another 130 days berthed but available for deployment.[4] She had to be capable of transporting a New Zealand Army heavy company and its equipment (identified in the initial proposal as 250 personnel, 315 lane metres of vehicles, and 33 TEU of equipment and stores), and be able to transfer the personnel and equipment between the ship and shore.[4] The vessel had to embark and operate one SH-2G Super Seasprite, and be fitted with aviation facilities capable of operating two Cougar-size helicopters or one Chinook-size helicopter.[4] Although the review called for the ship to be armed with a 40-to-76-millimetre (1.6 to 3.0in) gun, the 2003 request for proposals stipulated a 25-millimetre (0.98in) gun; this would help keep the project within the NZ$500 million budget, and provide ammunition commonality with the M242 Bushmaster fitted to the Army's LAV III infantry fighting vehicle.[4]
The multi-role vessel HMNZSCanterbury was the first ship completed under Project Protector.[2] Based on MSBen-my-Chree, a commercial roll-on/roll-off ferry, Canterbury has a displacement of 8,000 tonnes (7,900 long tons; 8,800 short tons), a top speed of 19 knots (35km/h; 22mph), and a range of 6,000 nautical miles (11,000km; 6,900mi).[2] The vessel is capable of transporting 250 troops, up to 40 vehicles in 403 lane metres of space, 33 ISO 20-foot containers (including eight dedicated ammunition containers) and 20 NATO pallets of supplies.[2] Loading is performed wharfside through stern and side access ramps, or via two 60-tonne (59-long-ton; 66-short-ton) cranes.[2] Two 23-metre (75ft) landing craft medium (LCM) are carried by Canterbury for situations where wharf unloading is unavailable; these can be launched and recovered via the cranes, while "marriage blocks" and "flippers" help the LCMs dock with the stern ramp.[2] One Super Seasprite and up to four NHIndustries NH90 helicopters can be hangared aboard.[3] The ship is fitted with a single 25mm Bushmaster gun in a Typhoon mounting and two 12.7mm machine guns for self-defence.[3]Canterbury's hull is strengthened to Finnish-Swedish ice class 1C, allowing her to operate in the Ross Dependency.[3]
The ship was built by the Merwede Shipyard in Rotterdam, with steel cutting starting on 15 April 2005.[3] It was launched in February 2006, and commenced sea trials in July.[2] Handover to Tenix was expected to occur in August; the vessel would then sail to the Tenix shipyard at Williamstown, Victoria, Australia for fitting of military equipment.[2] It was originally planned to have Canterbury commissioned into the RNZN during January 2007, but delays meant that the ship did not enter service until June 2007.[2][6] Problems were encountered early in the ship's career, relating primarily to the RHIB alcove docks, which were in a position to be easily swamped, with resulting damage to the boats themselves.[9] Seakeeping ability was also an issue.[9] Most of the problems stemmed from the ship's parent design-a short, fat civilian ferry designed to operate in the calm Irish Sea, not on military deployments in deep ocean-and the failure of Tenix and the RNZN to address this during design and construction.[9] A remedial program was initiated in 2008.[9]
The offshore patrol vessel Wellington in Wellington Harbour during September 2010
Up until the reviews, offshore patrol of the nation's EEZ had been undertaken by the Anzac class frigates, which were both too few in number and overqualified for the duties; deploying them in this manner meant they were unavailable for higher intensity operations for which they were more suited.[1] A new class of offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) was planned; these had to be capable of providing 420 ship-days per year of EEZ operations, and able to operate a Super Seasprite helicopter.[3][4]
Two offshore patrol vessels, Wellington and Otago, were built by Tenix at Williamstown from hull modules fabricated at Williamstown and superstructure modules assembled at Whangārei, North Island, then shipped to Australia.[2] The 1,740-tonne (1,710-long-ton; 1,920-short-ton) displacement, 85-metre (279ft) long vessels were based on an Aker Marine design operated by the Irish Naval Service.[2][3] The ships were fitted with an MSI-Defence Systems 25-millimetre (0.98in) gun as main armament, and could embark and operate a helicopter.[2] The patrol vessels' hulls were strengthened to Finnish-Swedish ice class 1C for operations in the Ross Dependency.[2]
Work started on 22 February 2005.[3] The OPVs were due to complete in April and October 2007.[2] However, the ships were not launched until November 2006 and October 2007 respectively, and by December 2008 were yet to commission.[10] The main problems were safety issues with the RHIBs and an extra 100 tons of weight over the design specifications.[10]Wellington did not commission until May 2010; the last Project Protector ship to enter service.[7]
The inshore patrol vessel Hawea entering Otago Harbour in August 2009
Several inshore patrol vessels (IPVs) were required for surveillance and patrol work in New Zealand's inshore zone (defined as up to 24 nautical miles (44km; 28mi) from the shoreline).[4] A minimum of 950 ship-days was required for these duties.[4] It was initially thought that the IPV requirement could be met by modernising four of the Moa class patrol boats.[4] They could not be updated to the standard required by the Maritime Forces Review, so new ships were instead ordered to replace them on a one-for-one basis.[4][6]
The IPVs were based on a 56-metre (184ft) search-and-rescue vessel class built by Tenix for the Philippine Coast Guard.[3] The vessels had a 340-ton displacement, and were 55 metres (180ft) long.[6] They were only fitted with 12.7mm machine guns instead of the 25mm guns fitted to the other Project Protector ships.[3] Four vessels were built at Tenix shipyard in Whangārei, North Island.[2] The first IPV, HMNZSRotoiti, was launched in July 2007, and during sea trials exceeded several design expectations: her maximum speed of 25 knots (46km/h; 29mph) was a knot higher than expected, she was capable of double her 3,000 nautical miles (5,600km; 3,500mi) designed range, and she had better seakeeping ability in heavy conditions than first thought.[9] The last ship, HMNZSTaupo, was launched in August 2008.[6] After the final patrol boat was completed, Tenix ceased operations at the Whangārei facility.[6] Although there were some problems with the vessels, all four entered service during 2009.[8]
The Royal New Zealand Navy is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force. The fleet currently consists of nine ships. The Navy had its origins in the Naval Defence Act 1913, and the subsequent acquisition of the cruiser HMS Philomel, which by 1921 had been moored in Auckland as a training ship. A slow buildup occurred during the interwar period, and then in December 1939 HMS Achilles fought alongside two other Royal Navy cruisers at the Battle of the River Plate against the German ship, Graf Spee.
A patrol boat is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence, border security, or law enforcement. There are many designs for patrol boats, and they generally range in size. They may be operated by a nation's navy, coast guard, police, or customs, and may be intended for marine, estuarine, or river environments.
HMNZS Charles Upham (A02) was a Mercandian 2-in-1 class roll-on/roll-off vessel operated by the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) between 1994 and 2001. The vessel was built for the Danish shipping company Mercandia during the early 1980s, and operated under the names Mercandian Queen II and Continental Queen II. The New Zealand Defence Force had identified the need for a logistic support ship as early as the 1970s but it was not until the 1991 white paper that planning to acquire a ship commenced in earnest. Mercandian Queen II was for sale around that time, and although not as capable as the RNZN had initially specified, was purchased in 1994.
The Anzac class is a ship class of ten frigates; eight operated by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and two operated by the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN). During the 1980s, the RAN began plans to replace the River-class destroyer escorts with a mid-capability patrol frigate and settled on the idea of modifying a proven German design for Australian conditions. Around the same time, the RNZN was seeking to replace their Leander-class frigates while maintaining blue-water capabilities. A souring of relations between New Zealand and the United States in relation to New Zealand's nuclear-free zone and the ANZUS security treaty prompted New Zealand to seek improved ties with other nations, particularly Australia. As both nations were seeking warships of similar capabilities, the decision was made in 1987 to collaborate on their acquisition. The project name is taken from the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps of the First World War.
HMAS Parramatta is an Anzac-class frigate of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). One of ten warships built for the RAN and Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) based on the MEKO 200 design, Parramatta was laid down in 1999, launched in 2003, and commissioned into the RAN in 2003. During her career, the frigate has been deployed to the Middle East on several occasions. In early 2015, Parramatta was docked to undergo the Anti-Ship Missile Defence (ASMD) upgrade. She completed these upgrades in April 2016.
HMNZS Te Kaha (F77) is one of ten Anzac-class frigates, and one of two serving in the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN). The name Te Kaha is Māori, meaning 'fighting prowess' or 'strength'.
HMNZS Te Mana (F111) is one of ten Anzac-class frigates and one of two serving in the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN). The name Te Mana is Māori, approximately translating as 'status' or 'authority'. The ship was laid down under the joint Anzac project by Tenix Defence at Williamstown, Victoria in 1996, launched in 1997, and commissioned into the RNZN in 1999.
The Moa-class patrol boat was a class of patrol boats built between 1978 and 1985 for the Royal New Zealand Navy by the Whangarei Engineering and Construction Company. They were based on an Australian boat design.
The Protector-class offshore patrol vessel is a ship class of two offshore patrol vessel (OPVs) operated by the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) since 2010. The ships are named HMNZS Otago and HMNZS Wellington.
The Royal New Zealand Navy has several long-term projects to retain and update its capabilities for the future.
HMNZS Canterbury is a multi-role vessel (MRV) of the Royal New Zealand Navy. She was commissioned in June 2007, and is the second ship of the Royal New Zealand Navy to carry the name. She is also New Zealand's first purpose-built strategic sealift ship.
HMNZS Wellington (P55) is a Protector-class offshore patrol vessel in the Royal New Zealand Navy.
The Lake-class inshore patrol vessel is a ship class of inshore patrol vessels (IPVs) of the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) and planned for the Irish Naval Service which replaced the RNZN's Moa-class patrol boats in 2007–2008. All four vessels are named after New Zealand lakes.
HMNZS Waikato (F55) was a Leander Batch 2TA frigate of the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN). She was one of two Leanders built for the RNZN, the other being the Batch 3 HMNZS Canterbury. These two New Zealand ships relieved British ships of the Armilla patrol during the Falklands conflict, freeing British ships for deployment.
HMNZS Otago (P148) is a Protector-class offshore patrol vessel in service with the Royal New Zealand Navy. The development of the OPV design based on an Irish Naval Service OPV class was very contentious, with the RNZN arguing for the need for a limited combat suite for effective training and patrol work with a 57 mm–76 mm light frigate gun and associated fire control, radar and electronic warfare systems at least compatible with current 2nd light RN OPVs. The government and Cabinet preference was to use the space and extra finance available to incorporate ice strengthening and provision of extra coastal patrol vessels. The RNZN view was that adding ice strengthening was unnecessary for Southern Ocean patrols, distinct from operations in the Ross Sea, and the extra weight and complexity would stress and shorten the life of the hulls from 25 to 15 years. She was launched in 2006 but suffered from problems during construction and was not commissioned until 2010, two years later than planned. Soon after commissioning Otago encountered problems with both her engines which delayed her arrival at her home port of Port Chalmers. She has served on several lengthy patrols of the Antarctic, though she lacks the capability to operate in heavier levels of ice-coverage which has led to the cancellation of at least one planned operation.
HMNZS Pukaki is a Lake-class inshore patrol vessel inshore patrol boat of the Royal New Zealand Navy. Pukaki was launched in Whangarei Harbour on 6 May 2008. Its primary duties included border and fisheries protection patrols, surveillance, boarding operations and search and rescue response.
HMNZS Taupo was a Lake-class patrol vessel of the Royal New Zealand Navy. Taupo was commissioned in 1975 and decommissioned in 1991, serving for 16 years.
The Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNZNVR) is the volunteer reserve force of the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN).
Tenix Defence was Australia's largest defence contractor with core capabilities in Aerospace, Land, Marine and Electronic Systems applications. BAE Systems announced its intention to acquire the company from Tenix in January 2008 and the acquisition was completed in June 2008 for A$775 million. BAE Systems Australia thus became Australia's largest defence contractor.
References
Journal articles
Fish, Tim (28 August 2008). "New Zealand launches fourth Project Protector inshore patrol vessel". Jane's Navy International. Jane's Information Group.
Fish, Tim (13 May 2010). "Last of RNZN's Protector fleet enters service". Jane's Navy International. Jane's Information Group.
Grevatt, Jon (24 December 2008). "Safety and weight worries delay Project Protector deliveries". Jane's Navy International. Jane's Information Group.
Grevatt, Jon (26 February 2010). "New Zealand receives $58.7m in Project Protector defects settlement". Jane's Navy International. Jane's Information Group.
McKinnon, Philip (16 December 2005). "Capital gains: RNZN makes step change in capability". Jane's Navy International. Jane's Information Group.
McKinnon, Phillip (1 November 2003). "New Zealand's navy follows a new heading". Jane's Navy International. Jane's Information Group.
McKinnon, Phillip; Scott, Richard (1 September 2003). "Industry lines up proposals for Project Protector". Jane's Navy International. Jane's Information Group.
Scott, Richard (1 July 2003). "New Zealand releases Project Protector RFP". Jane's Navy International. Jane's Information Group.
Scott, Richard (2 August 2006). "Project Protector: New model navy". Jane's Defence Weekly. Jane's Information Group.
Rosamond, Jon; Scott, Richard (23 October 2008). "Canterbury Tales: NZ MoD slated over flawed MRV deal". Jane's Navy International. Jane's Information Group.
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