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Home» Event News» Indo Pacific 2022»Austal Unveils New ‘Offshore Patrol 60’ Range of OPVs
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Austal OPV60
OPV60 scale model on Austal booth at Indo Pacific 2022

Austal Unveils New ‘Offshore Patrol 60’ Range of OPVs

Austal unveiled a new range of offshore patrol vessels at Indo Pacific 2022. Based on the in-service Evolved Cape Class Patrol Boat, the "Offshore Patrol 60" design comes in three main variants built upon a common hull.

Benjamin Felton 11 May 2022

Unlike the Cape Class, the Offshore Patrol 60 has a steel hull. Each of the notional variants, which can be modified to suit customer requirements, addresses a unique mission: surveillance, subsurface warfare, and maritime security. 

In addition to sharing a common steel hull, all three variants of Offshore Patrol 60 are equipped with a rear launching boat ramp, flight deck for small Unmanned Aerial Systems (known as UAS), counter-drone systems, and 12.7mm machine guns. 

Surveillance variant

The surveillance variant of the Offshore Patrol 60 is designed to perform intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions as well as search and rescue (SAR). It’s equipped with a Terma Scanter 4603 air search radar, unspecified electronic intelligence systems, and a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) UAS. Unlike some of the other variants, its only weapons are several 12.7mm machines arrayed around the hull. 

Maritime Security variant

The Maritime Security variant of the Offshore Patrol 60 is the most heavily armed version. In the configuration displayed by Austal, it’s armed with a 40mm main gun, two 30mm remote weapon stations (RWS), and light surface to air missiles, externally resembling the FIM-92 Stinger. Its flight deck is also reserved for either a VTOL UAS (Such as the S-100 Camcopter) or fixed-wing systems (Like the RQ-21 Blackjack).

Subsurface Warfare variant

The final variant of the Offshore Patrol 60 displayed at INDO PACIFIC 2022 is one optimised for tackling subsurface threats, be they submarines or mines. A containerised towed array sonar is fitted to the aft cargo deck, which provides the OPV with advanced undersea awareness. A hull-mounted mine-detection sonar and crane capable of launching unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV) complement the sonar’s capabilities. The subsurface variant lacks a dedicated flight deck for drones, however, Naval News understands that small systems could operate from onboard. 

Austal OPV60
OPV60 scale model on Austal booth at Indo Pacific 2022

Speaking to Naval News at INDO PACIFIC 2022, Austal said that they’re primarily marketing the OPV to markets in “Southeast Asia”, though they declined to name names. Austal also told Naval News that the design is very adaptable and that most subsystems, such as the towed array sonar, can be swapped on and off the ship. 

Austal INDO PACIFIC 2022 OPV 2022-05-11
Tags Austal INDO PACIFIC 2022 OPV
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Authors

Posted by : Benjamin Felton
Benjamin Felton is a freelance writer on security issues based in Australia. He focuses on Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific and has expertise in 'non-traditional' security issues.

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