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It may be time for Australians to take a look at what New Zealand is doing to refurbish its naval forces. The name of the game is Project Protector.
 
HMNZS Otago, an 85m offshore patrol craft, was launched last weekend in Melbourne, the second of a nine ship order that makes up the project.

 
First announced in 2002, and with contracts let in 2004, Project Protector comprises a multi-role vessel, six inshore and offshore patrol boats and landing craft. The operational requirements for this fleet were prepared by the Royal New Zealand Navy in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Fisheries, Customs, Police and other New Zealand agencies that may require their services. When completed the basic training requirements of the navy will be met together with the protection of New Zealand’s international interests at sea and across the Pacific region.

 
Dame Sylvia Cartwright, recently retired Governor-General, launched Otago and right alongside lay HMNZS Canterbury, a multi-role vessel launched in Holland earlier this year and now fitting out in preparation for commissioning early next year.

 
Canterbury is some ship.

 
8,000 tonnes displacement and 131 meters long with a speed of 19 knots. She will provide sea lift capability for the transport and deployment of equipment, vehicles (the Army’s light armoured and light operational vehicles), ratings under training and 250 troops. The vessel has hangars for both a Sea Sprite and a NH-90 helicopter and can carry additional helicopters as cargo. For transporting men and materiel ashore in the absence of docks Canterbury carries two landing craft (50 tonnes displacement) to be craned into the water.

 
The ship can be driven by joysticks on each side of the bridge controlling engines, bow thrusters and rudders.

 
Nothing quite like this has been seen in the Kiwi end of the Pacific before.

 
The role for the offshore patrol boats, Otago and her companion Wellington, to be launched mid-2007, will be to patrol the Pacific, the New Zealand EEZ and the Great Southern Ocean with a capacity that has not been seen there before.

 
The ANZAC frigates (New Zealand has two) are at the limit of their operational ability in the southern ocean but the new vessels will be comfortably in their element. They can patrol in sea state 6 and survive in sea state 9. With icebergs now off the coast of the South Island it’s reassuring to learn that they are ice strengthened.

 
These offshore patrol craft are 85 meters long with and have an optional speed of 24 knots. Each is helicopter capable with the same facilities as the frigates. Two vessels, each with a chopper, multiply enormously the area that can be searched for fish predators to the south of New Zealand. The Kiwi fisheries zones, like the Australians,  are under constant attack by illegal foreign fishing vessels and they now will be able to fight back, identify and capture the predators.

 
. Clearly, there has been consultation with the Australian Department of Defence throughout the planning of Project Protector. For example, the helicopter deck of Canterbury has been strengthened to take a Chinook helicopter, operated by  Australia but not by New Zealand.

 
The Royal Australian Navy has no craft to match these in the southern ocean. A couple of years ago an Australian fisheries patrol chased a patagonian tooth fish pirate all the way to an intercept off the South African coast. It was later revealed that this epic chase was only possible because another pirate ship, previously captured and confiscated, had been used as the hunter!

 
Now, if they chose to work together, Australia and New Zealand will be able to protect their fish stocks vastly more efficiently.

 
Project Protector is being built by the Australian defence contractor, Tenix. This half billion dollar benefit to Aussie industry has been little reported on the Sydney side of the ditch. New Zealand industries are benefiting as well. Just as major modules of the entire ANZAC 10 frigate fleet were built by Tenix in Whangarei, North Auckland, so modules for Otago and Wellington are being fabricated there.

 
The four inshore patrol boats are all being built in Whangarei for launch in 2007. By then the RNZN will have 9 new ships (including the LCMs) and navy recruitment must find 250 more sailors and tradesmen by 2008.

 
When President Bush visits New Zealand to meet Pacific leaders after the Sydney APEC meeting in 2007Helen Clark will be able to show him how the Kiwis are maintaining security in the region.

Submitted to Dominion Post 20 November 2006