Protector Class (Otago Class) New Zealand Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV)

The Protector-class offshore patrol vessel (also known as the Otago class) is a ship class of two offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) operated by the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) since 2010. The ships are named HMNZS Otago and HMNZS Wellington. Three similar vessels built to the same Vard 7 85M design were built by Colombo Dockyard for the Sri Lanka Coast Guard. Conceived as part of Project Protector, the Ministry of Defence project consisted of acquiring one multi-role vessel, two offshore, and four inshore patrol vessels. The Project Protector vessels will be operated by the RNZN to conduct tasks for and with the New Zealand Customs Service, the Department of Conservation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ministry of Fisheries, Maritime New Zealand, and New Zealand Police. The Government and Navy policy were the OPVs are intended to carry out resource protection functions in the EEZ, South Pacific, and the Southern Ocean, to free the two Anzac-class frigates for other needs. However, with the capability to carry and sustain a missile-armed RNZN helicopter they do have limited higher contingency capability. The vessels were designed by Vard Marine (known as STX Canada Marine and formerly Kvaerner Masa Marine) and are based on earlier OPV designs in service with the Irish Naval Service (since 1999) and the Mauritian Coast Guard (since 1996). However, the adopted design is considerably upgraded, in that the Irish Naval Service no longer included helicopter facilities in its designs after the failure of helicopter operations from the OPV LÉ Eithne in the rough seas off the Irish west coast. Otago, however, includes helicopter facilities similar to the arrangements of the earlier Irish OPV, LÉ Eithne, which were based on the British Leander, which modification to operate larger Lynx/Seasprite helicopters is based on the design of the last RNZN Leander, HMNZS Canterbury. The vessel is compliant with all of the operational requirements for patrol and response, cargo carriage and handling, sea keeping for sea boat and helicopter operations, and has a high level of comfort for crew and client-agency officials.