by Tim Fish
Austal has developed a new Offshore Patrol 60 concept design, which was first shown at the Indo-Pacific 2022 exhibition in Sydney.
Austal capture team leader Matt Klingberg told AMR The vessel is an evolution of its earlier work on improved Cape-class patrol vessels, and can have substantial capabilities almost equivalent to larger Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) at a competitive price.
The Offshore Patrol 60 concept is suitable for a 60m long multi-mission vessel that can be easily reconfigured into different roles including patrol and border protection, surveillance, mine countermeasures, hydrology and research, special forces operations and policing. With a beam of 10.6m and a draught of 3m, the vessel can carry two engines for a top speed of 23.5 knots, or three engines for a top speed of 26 knots, a speed of 12 knots and a range of 2,500 nautical miles.
Austal offers the Offshore Patrol 60 concept in three variants. The maritime security version can be equipped with a main gun with a maximum caliber of 30-40 mm, water cannon, two 12.7 mm machine guns in front, a drone countermeasure system and a decoy launch system. It can also accommodate a stern-launched RHIB, vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial system (UAS) and air defense self-defense missile system as well as two 30mm long-range weapon stations located aft.
Surveillance variants will include air and surface surveillance radars, communications electronic support measures systems, launch and recovery systems for long-endurance fixed-wing UAVs, and pylons for launching and recovering surface ships.
Subsea variants include container-operated towed sonars on the stern deck, hull-mounted lightning protection sonars, and unmanned underwater vehicles for mine detection and disposal.
All variants are capable of launching and recovering two 7.3m Gemini boats, with weapons and sensor systems controlled by a four-station combat information center.
