Corvette and OPV 
While a few Asia-Pacific navies have ambitions to shield all their maritime lines of communications, most focus upon the protection of their coast lines and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) which extend some 200 nautical miles (370 kilometres) from the shore.
EEZs ensure the livelihoods of a nation’s fishermen, because fish and seafood remains a major source of the continent’s nourishment. But there are also extensive mineral resources under the sea, especially hydrocarbons like oil and gas which may increase national prosperity. Small wonder that a major source of contention between Asia-Pacific countries is the exploitation of these resources leading to many maritime disputes, the latest being between China and Japan over the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands, as they are respectively known by each nation.
The task of protecting these resources requires dedicated vessels which can help to assert national sovereignty and ensure that laws are observed. Finally, nations require national platforms capable of projecting national search and rescue capabilities as well as containing environmental pollution.
Offshore Patrol Vessels
In the past these tasks have been assigned to smaller or older warships; most of Indonesia’s ‘Kondor-II’ class coastal minesweepers and fast attack craft are used for this task while China’s paramilitary coastal forces have been boosted by ‘Luda’ class destroyers and demilitarised ‘Jianghu’ class frigates. But warship designs are not normally intended for this offshore protection role. Instead, it is best met by a dedicated platform in the guise of the Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) which usually displaces between 1700 and 2000 tonnes. Such vessels are outfitted with good sea-keeping abilities to ride out most storms in deep water, and with excellent endurance and range.
An OPV requires space to embark a variety of equipment together with some medical facilities while another useful feature is a deck from which to operate a maritime support helicopter. Some may also require a good sonar to assist in the auxiliary task of hydrographic survey work, but a good air and sea surveillance radar is the primary sensor. A datalink is useful to exchange radar track data with other law-enforcement vessels, and some form of Combat Management System (CMS) for more efficient operations with other ships performing law enforcement is also desirable. This law-enforcement requirement means that the ship will usually employ a medium (40-76mm) calibre main armament augmented by smaller calibre (7.62mm-30mm) weapons.
East Asia
China has the largest OPV fleet with some 400 hulls ranging from 1150 to 3400 tonnes displacement and is in the process of receiving an additional 36 vessels of varying displacements. Japan’s coast guard, formerly the Maritime Safety Agency, employs some 50 OPVs ranging in displacement from the 1300-tonne ‘Hateruma’ class to the two 5204-tonne ‘Mizuho’ class. The Senkaku/Diaoyu islands dispute has led to a considerable expansion of Japan’s coast guard which will build four 1000-tonne OPVs of an as-yet-to-be-named class by the end of 2014. Across the Straits of Tsushima, the Republic of Korea’s (RoK) coast guard operates four OPVs of some 1200-tonnes and is receiving a small expansion of some five vessels from the Hyundai shipyard including a 3000-tonne OPV, although the date of their delivery has yet to be revealed.
Southeast Asia
Within southeast Asia neither Vietnam nor Indonesia have OPV requirements while the Philippines, which has largely relied upon OPVs such as its three ‘Jacinto’ class ships and two recently-acquired 3300-tonne former United States Coast Guard (USCG) ‘Hamilton’ class High Endurance Cutters (known locally as the ‘Gregorio del Pilar’ class), is now seeking two new frigates for the navy entering service in the second half of this decade. Brunei has gone the other way, replacing a corvette requirement with one for three German-built 1625-tonne ‘Darussalam’ class OPVs, while Thailand has a requirement for five OPVs, and is considering ordering a second ‘Krabi’ class ship, while it operates two 1463-tonne ‘Pattani’ class OPVs officially designated as corvettes. The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has a fleet of some 100 patrol boats of various sizes, but also operates two 1300-tonne former Royal Malaysian Navy ‘Langkawi’ class OPVs and is reported to have an outline requirement for an unknown number of OPVs.
South Asia
India’s coast guard has 16 OPVs, ranging from the 1300-tonne ‘Vikram’ class to the 2266-tonne ‘Sanklap’ class, and plans six more ‘Sanklap’ class vessels and seven more undefined OPVs by the end of the decade. Most of these ships are, at best, lightly armed with only the coast guard’s four ‘Samar’ class ships carrying a 76mm OtoMelara Super Rapid gun, but the Indian Navy’s version of the ‘Sanklap’ class, the ‘Saryu’ class, will have a similar armament. The navy is receiving four ‘Saryu’ class OPVs which will augment six 1920-tonne ‘Sukanya’ class ships, one of which is used as a ballistic missile test launch platform, all of which have been delivered.
Elsewhere in this region Bangladesh has two former 1630-tonne Royal Navy ‘Castle’ class OPVs and has received a ‘Hamilton’ class cutter from the USCG which it is upgrading into a frigate, via the addition of China Haiying Electro-Mechanical Technology Academy C-802 Anti-Ship Missile (AShM) and unknown Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAMs), over the next couple of years. A parliamentary ten-year development plan launched in 2009 indicated that Bangladesh has a requirement for three OPVs although no vessels have yet been procured to this end. To the south, Sri Lanka operates three OPVs in the form of two former Indian ‘Vikram’ and ‘Sukanya’ class vessels and a former 1147-tonne US ‘Reliance’ class ship. Colombo has placed an order for two ‘Sanklap’ class vessels for delivery by 2016.
Australasia
Across the Indian Ocean Australia’s Project Sea 1180 plans for the procurement of an Offshore Combat Vessel (OCV) using a basic 2000-tonne hull design will produce 20 vessels during the first half of the next decade to replace up to 26 vessels including the Royal Australian Navy’s ‘Armidale’ class patrol boats, ‘Huon’ class mine countermeasures vessels and the hydrographic survey vessels of the ‘Leeuwin’ and ‘Paluma’ classes. Meanwhile, New Zealand operates two ‘Protector’ class OPVs which are unusual because they have ice-strengthened bows to operate in Antarctica.
Corvettes
Looking at navies in the Asia-Pacific one obvious aspect is the considerable degree of overlap when vessels are designated as either ‘OPVs’ or ‘corvettes’. Although the term Littoral Combat Ship is normally associated with the US Navy’s multi-role vessels, which it is currently acquiring, it is quite a good description of the corvette, though the latter might also be described as ‘an OPV with attitude.’
Like OPVs corvettes are designed for operations against any threat either to an EEZ or to coastal waters. Because they are essentially ASuW (Anti-Surface Warfare) platforms with limited anti-air and anti-submarine capabilities they tend to have a more sophisticated radar than OPVs together with a CMS and some electronic warfare systems. They too tend to offer a high endurance, and usually have fuel-efficient diesel engines making them capable of higher speeds for rapid transit and manoeuvre.
Interest in corvettes has grown in the past couple of decades as it became clear that the fast attack craft had poor survivability vis-à-vis air attack. Their surveillance radars have a comparatively short range given the height of the vessel in water, reducing the search area and countermeasures reaction times while lacking a significant air defence system. The corvette provides a significant improvement in capability and survivability with better radar coverage, thanks to the height of the vessel in the water, and space for weapon systems such as SSMs and SAMs. These ships can even perform Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) by employing sonars and lightweight torpedoes.
Malaysia
Malaysia’s New Generation Patrol Vessel (NGPV) requirement was met by the ‘Kedah’ class based on German shipbuilders Blohm and Voss’ MEKO 100 design, but these OPVs feature a sophisticated CMS, optronics, a chaff launcher and are equipped to operate AShMs, SAMs and have an electronic warfare suite. The Royal Malaysian Navy intends to add AShMs. Furthermore, Malaysia has ordered six ‘Gowind’ class corvettes from French shipbuilder DCNS with deliveries from 2017. It is unclear whether or not these will augment, or partially replace, the existing corvette force of six ‘Kedah’, two ‘Kasturi’ and four ‘Laksamana’ class ships. The ‘Kasturi’ class are surface warfare and ASW platforms that are being upgraded with a new CMS, new gun and ASW equipment in a programme which concludes by the end of 2014. The ‘Laksamana’ class corvettes were former Iraqi ‘Assad’ class ships and are true multi-role platforms with a gun and SSMs, sonar and anti-submarine torpedoes and a SAM system.
Republic of Korea
While the RoK will replace 22 ‘Po Hang’ class surface warfare/ASW corvettes with ‘Incheon’ class frigates and the ‘Gumdoksuri’ class fast attack craft (and this programme should be complete by the end of the decade), the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has four ‘Sariwon’ ASW ships.
China
China, on the other hand, is building 1440-tonne ‘Jiangdao’ class surface warfare /ASW corvettes which, like all modern corvette designs, feature shaping to reduce their radar signature. Last year 18 were reported launched, or commissioned, with at least a dozen on order to replace the 40-year-old ‘Jianghu I/II’ class frigates and the ‘Houxin/Houjian’class fast attack and patrol craft.
Taiwan
Taiwan plans up to twelve similarly ‘stealthy’ 900-1000 tonne ‘Hsun Hai’ class ships. These will have a surface warfare/ASW role and may possibly incorporate weapon and sensor systems from US-supplied ‘Gearing’ class destroyers, ‘Knox’ class frigates and local ‘in Chiang’ class fast attack craft to reduce costs.
Vietnam
Vietnam has been steadily expanding its corvette fleet from four ‘Tarantul’ class surface warfare/ASW ships to two ‘Improved Pauk’ class vessels and is acquiring up to ten ‘Improved Tarantul’ class ships, all of which are pure surface warfare vessels. Hanoi is also discussing the purchase of four ‘Sigma 10514’ class ships from the Netherlands’ Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding (DSNS), of which two would be built in Europe and the other two in Vietnam.
Thailand
Neighbouring Thailand has two US-built ‘Rattanakosin’ class ships, which have surface warfare, ASW and air defence capabilities and three ‘Khamronsin’ class corvettes which are primarily ASW platforms. Bangkok appears to be more interested in new frigates than modernising the Royal Thai Navy’s corvette force.
Singapore
Singapore operates six ‘Victory’ class surface warfare/ASW corvettes, but they will be replaced on a one-for-one basis by the Littoral Mission Vessel (LMV) of which there are few details.
Indonesia
Across the Straits of Malacca the archipelago nature of Indonesia means that it operates a large fleet of 23 corvettes. The majority are former East German ‘Parchim I’ class which are unusual in being dedicated ASW platforms with hull-mounted sonar, augmented in some ships by variable depth sensors. They are armed with both anti-submarine torpedoes and mortars while many have replaced their Russian diesel engines with western designs, manufactured by German propulsion specialist MTU. The corvettes are augmented by three ‘Fatahillah’ class which also feature a strong ASW suite and four ‘Diponegoro’ class ships built by DSNS based upon their ‘Sigma 9113’ class design which are used largely for the surface warfare and ASW roles.
The ‘Sigma’ class family has been selected to meet Jakarta’s Guided Missile Escort 105 requirement for ‘light frigates’ (in actual fact corvettes) which will be built domestically and for which steel on the first two was cut earlier in 2014. The new ships will be based upon the ‘Sigma 10514’ class design, and these 2400-tonne vessels will be optimised for ASW with the first of two scheduled to be laid in 2014 and to enter service in 2016. Nevertheless, it remains unclear as to how many are required.
India
The Indian Navy has tended to rely upon Russian designs and is currently using four ‘Abhay’ class ASW vessels which may be re-engined, although there is currently no word on when this might take place, and twelve ‘Veer’ class surface warfare ships. New Delhi’s first indigenous corvette design, the ‘Project 25’ class, was planned as an ASW platform but instead the ‘Khukri’ class have appeared as surface warfare ships as are the improved ‘Kora’ class with four of each being built. The latest ‘Kamorta’ class corvettes feature shaping to reduce their radar cross section and appear to be planned as multi-role ships and the addition of a SAM will provide a good air defence capability. The lead ship was commissioned in June 2014 and another three are being constructed with plans for up to twelve ships, but construction has been prolonged and the fourth ship will not be commissioned until 2015. However, it is reported that New Delhi is now looking at an improved corvette design known as the ‘Project 28A’ but no details are available.
Asian Subcontinent
Bangladesh is reported to have ordered its first two ‘Jiangdao’ class corvettes from China for delivery in 2016 and Dhaka is reported to have a long term plan to order four more corvettes from Turkey yet no date has been announced to this effect. Neighbouring Burma acquired three ‘Anawrahta’ class corvettes from China in 2000 but these are purely surface warfare platforms. Neither Pakistan nor Sri Lanka appears currently interested in corvettes.
In terms of OPVs the Asia-Pacific region is typical of the developing world with requirements for a variety of vessels to cover a broad range of hydrographic requirements. Unlike the other prime market, Latin America, there is little sign that nations are co-operating to meet their requirements like Argentina, Chile and Colombia are in using the same basic OPV design. The demand for corvettes in the Asian region outstrips every other region in terms both of numbers and operational requirements and is likely to see demand increase certainly over the short term.
by Edward Hooton
While a few Asia-Pacific navies have ambitions to shield all their maritime lines of communications, most focus upon the protection of their coast lines and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) which extend some 200 nautical miles (370 kilometres) from the shore.EEZs ensure the livelihoods of a nation’s fishermen, because fish and seafood remains a major source of the continent’s nourishment. But there are also extensive mineral resources under the sea, especially hydrocarbons like oil and gas which may increase national prosperity. Small wonder that a major source of contention between Asia-Pacific countries is the exploitation of these resources leading to many maritime disputes, the latest being between China and Japan over the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands, as they are respectively known by each nation.
The task of protecting these resources requires dedicated vessels which can help to assert national sovereignty and ensure that laws are observed. Finally, nations require national platforms capable of projecting national search and rescue capabilities as well as containing environmental pollution.
Offshore Patrol Vessels
In the past these tasks have been assigned to smaller or older warships; most of Indonesia’s ‘Kondor-II’ class coastal minesweepers and fast attack craft are used for this task while China’s paramilitary coastal forces have been boosted by ‘Luda’ class destroyers and demilitarised ‘Jianghu’ class frigates. But warship designs are not normally intended for this offshore protection role. Instead, it is best met by a dedicated platform in the guise of the Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) which usually displaces between 1700 and 2000 tonnes. Such vessels are outfitted with good sea-keeping abilities to ride out most storms in deep water, and with excellent endurance and range.
An OPV requires space to embark a variety of equipment together with some medical facilities while another useful feature is a deck from which to operate a maritime support helicopter. Some may also require a good sonar to assist in the auxiliary task of hydrographic survey work, but a good air and sea surveillance radar is the primary sensor. A datalink is useful to exchange radar track data with other law-enforcement vessels, and some form of Combat Management System (CMS) for more efficient operations with other ships performing law enforcement is also desirable. This law-enforcement requirement means that the ship will usually employ a medium (40-76mm) calibre main armament augmented by smaller calibre (7.62mm-30mm) weapons.
East Asia
China has the largest OPV fleet with some 400 hulls ranging from 1150 to 3400 tonnes displacement and is in the process of receiving an additional 36 vessels of varying displacements. Japan’s coast guard, formerly the Maritime Safety Agency, employs some 50 OPVs ranging in displacement from the 1300-tonne ‘Hateruma’ class to the two 5204-tonne ‘Mizuho’ class. The Senkaku/Diaoyu islands dispute has led to a considerable expansion of Japan’s coast guard which will build four 1000-tonne OPVs of an as-yet-to-be-named class by the end of 2014. Across the Straits of Tsushima, the Republic of Korea’s (RoK) coast guard operates four OPVs of some 1200-tonnes and is receiving a small expansion of some five vessels from the Hyundai shipyard including a 3000-tonne OPV, although the date of their delivery has yet to be revealed.
Southeast Asia
Within southeast Asia neither Vietnam nor Indonesia have OPV requirements while the Philippines, which has largely relied upon OPVs such as its three ‘Jacinto’ class ships and two recently-acquired 3300-tonne former United States Coast Guard (USCG) ‘Hamilton’ class High Endurance Cutters (known locally as the ‘Gregorio del Pilar’ class), is now seeking two new frigates for the navy entering service in the second half of this decade. Brunei has gone the other way, replacing a corvette requirement with one for three German-built 1625-tonne ‘Darussalam’ class OPVs, while Thailand has a requirement for five OPVs, and is considering ordering a second ‘Krabi’ class ship, while it operates two 1463-tonne ‘Pattani’ class OPVs officially designated as corvettes. The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has a fleet of some 100 patrol boats of various sizes, but also operates two 1300-tonne former Royal Malaysian Navy ‘Langkawi’ class OPVs and is reported to have an outline requirement for an unknown number of OPVs.
South Asia
India’s coast guard has 16 OPVs, ranging from the 1300-tonne ‘Vikram’ class to the 2266-tonne ‘Sanklap’ class, and plans six more ‘Sanklap’ class vessels and seven more undefined OPVs by the end of the decade. Most of these ships are, at best, lightly armed with only the coast guard’s four ‘Samar’ class ships carrying a 76mm OtoMelara Super Rapid gun, but the Indian Navy’s version of the ‘Sanklap’ class, the ‘Saryu’ class, will have a similar armament. The navy is receiving four ‘Saryu’ class OPVs which will augment six 1920-tonne ‘Sukanya’ class ships, one of which is used as a ballistic missile test launch platform, all of which have been delivered.
Elsewhere in this region Bangladesh has two former 1630-tonne Royal Navy ‘Castle’ class OPVs and has received a ‘Hamilton’ class cutter from the USCG which it is upgrading into a frigate, via the addition of China Haiying Electro-Mechanical Technology Academy C-802 Anti-Ship Missile (AShM) and unknown Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAMs), over the next couple of years. A parliamentary ten-year development plan launched in 2009 indicated that Bangladesh has a requirement for three OPVs although no vessels have yet been procured to this end. To the south, Sri Lanka operates three OPVs in the form of two former Indian ‘Vikram’ and ‘Sukanya’ class vessels and a former 1147-tonne US ‘Reliance’ class ship. Colombo has placed an order for two ‘Sanklap’ class vessels for delivery by 2016.
Australasia
Across the Indian Ocean Australia’s Project Sea 1180 plans for the procurement of an Offshore Combat Vessel (OCV) using a basic 2000-tonne hull design will produce 20 vessels during the first half of the next decade to replace up to 26 vessels including the Royal Australian Navy’s ‘Armidale’ class patrol boats, ‘Huon’ class mine countermeasures vessels and the hydrographic survey vessels of the ‘Leeuwin’ and ‘Paluma’ classes. Meanwhile, New Zealand operates two ‘Protector’ class OPVs which are unusual because they have ice-strengthened bows to operate in Antarctica.
Corvettes
Looking at navies in the Asia-Pacific one obvious aspect is the considerable degree of overlap when vessels are designated as either ‘OPVs’ or ‘corvettes’. Although the term Littoral Combat Ship is normally associated with the US Navy’s multi-role vessels, which it is currently acquiring, it is quite a good description of the corvette, though the latter might also be described as ‘an OPV with attitude.’
Like OPVs corvettes are designed for operations against any threat either to an EEZ or to coastal waters. Because they are essentially ASuW (Anti-Surface Warfare) platforms with limited anti-air and anti-submarine capabilities they tend to have a more sophisticated radar than OPVs together with a CMS and some electronic warfare systems. They too tend to offer a high endurance, and usually have fuel-efficient diesel engines making them capable of higher speeds for rapid transit and manoeuvre.
Interest in corvettes has grown in the past couple of decades as it became clear that the fast attack craft had poor survivability vis-à-vis air attack. Their surveillance radars have a comparatively short range given the height of the vessel in water, reducing the search area and countermeasures reaction times while lacking a significant air defence system. The corvette provides a significant improvement in capability and survivability with better radar coverage, thanks to the height of the vessel in the water, and space for weapon systems such as SSMs and SAMs. These ships can even perform Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) by employing sonars and lightweight torpedoes.
Malaysia
Malaysia’s New Generation Patrol Vessel (NGPV) requirement was met by the ‘Kedah’ class based on German shipbuilders Blohm and Voss’ MEKO 100 design, but these OPVs feature a sophisticated CMS, optronics, a chaff launcher and are equipped to operate AShMs, SAMs and have an electronic warfare suite. The Royal Malaysian Navy intends to add AShMs. Furthermore, Malaysia has ordered six ‘Gowind’ class corvettes from French shipbuilder DCNS with deliveries from 2017. It is unclear whether or not these will augment, or partially replace, the existing corvette force of six ‘Kedah’, two ‘Kasturi’ and four ‘Laksamana’ class ships. The ‘Kasturi’ class are surface warfare and ASW platforms that are being upgraded with a new CMS, new gun and ASW equipment in a programme which concludes by the end of 2014. The ‘Laksamana’ class corvettes were former Iraqi ‘Assad’ class ships and are true multi-role platforms with a gun and SSMs, sonar and anti-submarine torpedoes and a SAM system.
Republic of Korea
While the RoK will replace 22 ‘Po Hang’ class surface warfare/ASW corvettes with ‘Incheon’ class frigates and the ‘Gumdoksuri’ class fast attack craft (and this programme should be complete by the end of the decade), the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has four ‘Sariwon’ ASW ships.
China
China, on the other hand, is building 1440-tonne ‘Jiangdao’ class surface warfare /ASW corvettes which, like all modern corvette designs, feature shaping to reduce their radar signature. Last year 18 were reported launched, or commissioned, with at least a dozen on order to replace the 40-year-old ‘Jianghu I/II’ class frigates and the ‘Houxin/Houjian’class fast attack and patrol craft.
Taiwan
Taiwan plans up to twelve similarly ‘stealthy’ 900-1000 tonne ‘Hsun Hai’ class ships. These will have a surface warfare/ASW role and may possibly incorporate weapon and sensor systems from US-supplied ‘Gearing’ class destroyers, ‘Knox’ class frigates and local ‘in Chiang’ class fast attack craft to reduce costs.
Vietnam
Vietnam has been steadily expanding its corvette fleet from four ‘Tarantul’ class surface warfare/ASW ships to two ‘Improved Pauk’ class vessels and is acquiring up to ten ‘Improved Tarantul’ class ships, all of which are pure surface warfare vessels. Hanoi is also discussing the purchase of four ‘Sigma 10514’ class ships from the Netherlands’ Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding (DSNS), of which two would be built in Europe and the other two in Vietnam.
Thailand
Neighbouring Thailand has two US-built ‘Rattanakosin’ class ships, which have surface warfare, ASW and air defence capabilities and three ‘Khamronsin’ class corvettes which are primarily ASW platforms. Bangkok appears to be more interested in new frigates than modernising the Royal Thai Navy’s corvette force.
Singapore
Singapore operates six ‘Victory’ class surface warfare/ASW corvettes, but they will be replaced on a one-for-one basis by the Littoral Mission Vessel (LMV) of which there are few details.
Indonesia
Across the Straits of Malacca the archipelago nature of Indonesia means that it operates a large fleet of 23 corvettes. The majority are former East German ‘Parchim I’ class which are unusual in being dedicated ASW platforms with hull-mounted sonar, augmented in some ships by variable depth sensors. They are armed with both anti-submarine torpedoes and mortars while many have replaced their Russian diesel engines with western designs, manufactured by German propulsion specialist MTU. The corvettes are augmented by three ‘Fatahillah’ class which also feature a strong ASW suite and four ‘Diponegoro’ class ships built by DSNS based upon their ‘Sigma 9113’ class design which are used largely for the surface warfare and ASW roles.
The ‘Sigma’ class family has been selected to meet Jakarta’s Guided Missile Escort 105 requirement for ‘light frigates’ (in actual fact corvettes) which will be built domestically and for which steel on the first two was cut earlier in 2014. The new ships will be based upon the ‘Sigma 10514’ class design, and these 2400-tonne vessels will be optimised for ASW with the first of two scheduled to be laid in 2014 and to enter service in 2016. Nevertheless, it remains unclear as to how many are required.
India
The Indian Navy has tended to rely upon Russian designs and is currently using four ‘Abhay’ class ASW vessels which may be re-engined, although there is currently no word on when this might take place, and twelve ‘Veer’ class surface warfare ships. New Delhi’s first indigenous corvette design, the ‘Project 25’ class, was planned as an ASW platform but instead the ‘Khukri’ class have appeared as surface warfare ships as are the improved ‘Kora’ class with four of each being built. The latest ‘Kamorta’ class corvettes feature shaping to reduce their radar cross section and appear to be planned as multi-role ships and the addition of a SAM will provide a good air defence capability. The lead ship was commissioned in June 2014 and another three are being constructed with plans for up to twelve ships, but construction has been prolonged and the fourth ship will not be commissioned until 2015. However, it is reported that New Delhi is now looking at an improved corvette design known as the ‘Project 28A’ but no details are available.
Asian Subcontinent
Bangladesh is reported to have ordered its first two ‘Jiangdao’ class corvettes from China for delivery in 2016 and Dhaka is reported to have a long term plan to order four more corvettes from Turkey yet no date has been announced to this effect. Neighbouring Burma acquired three ‘Anawrahta’ class corvettes from China in 2000 but these are purely surface warfare platforms. Neither Pakistan nor Sri Lanka appears currently interested in corvettes.
In terms of OPVs the Asia-Pacific region is typical of the developing world with requirements for a variety of vessels to cover a broad range of hydrographic requirements. Unlike the other prime market, Latin America, there is little sign that nations are co-operating to meet their requirements like Argentina, Chile and Colombia are in using the same basic OPV design. The demand for corvettes in the Asian region outstrips every other region in terms both of numbers and operational requirements and is likely to see demand increase certainly over the short term.
by Edward Hooton
★ AMR
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