A more capable offshore patrol vessel can be useful for Royal Navy tasks, but overlapping capabilities create a procurement problem. Budget officials can then ask why the Navy needs frigates as well as the cheaper patrol ships. The result is pressure to count additional OPV equipment as a substitute for the higher-end fleet. The Samuel Beckett class is suggested as a useful design starting point, with its construction at Appledore linking the idea to an existing British yard. The concern is that improving a patrol ship can make it harder to defend a separate frigate requirement.
Notable Point · 5:58:46-5:59:45
Why a more capable OPV can threaten frigate numbers
Adding combat capability to an offshore patrol vessel can invite budget officials to count it as a frigate substitute and cut the higher-end force.