Australia is considering the possibility of building new light corvettes

The possible renaissance of new light corvettes as a class of combat units in RAN is tied to a sense of greater threat to Australian interests linked to the growing Chinese Navy.

The Australian Department of Defense (DoD) reviewed the plans for the development of the water combat units and concluded that in order to provide the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) with increased combat capabilities in response to increased security threats in the region, consideration should be given to the return to the use of corvets capable of combating submarine and submarine targets. Thus, this class of units can appear in the RAN after more than 60 years of break, when previously used corvet (typeBathurst– built 1940-42, in service until 1960).

The proposal to acquire between 10 and 12 warships of this class, equipped with the ability to carry out the activities of ASuW and ASW, could result in a programme worth between AUD 5 and 6 billion (US$3.2 to 3.8 billion).

Corvette acquisition plans can also be a reaction to relatively small combat capabilities, which are built OPVs of typeAraphura. These German-designed Lürssen shipyards are no longer seen as sufficient to ensure safety against the increasing force and range of the People's Liberation Army (PLAN), the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) and its naval militia forces.

Currently, it is planned to build 12 OPVs of this type and 2 additional ones configured for antimine tasks. However, an OPV of this type of 80 m long and 1640 t buoyancy, with only artillery and rifle weapons, is not a real combat force. The introduction of new corvettes armed with rockets and torpedoes would provide more firepower and usefulness, not only in protection, but also in defence of Australia's territorial waters and the exclusive economic zone, as well as maritime routes and areas of interest.

The Ministry report informs that the Ministry of Defence is looking at Lürssen's corvette models, which have projects: K130 (used on German naval corvettes typeBraunschweig), and C90, which is used in corvettes built for the Bulgarian Navy. Both structures are larger than OPVAraphurabuilt for the Royal Australian Navy and are armed with anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles, torpedoes and mid-caliber artillery.

A competitive solution can be OPV reinforcementAraphuraheavy weapons. However, in the case of the construction of corvettes, it is also possible to transfer patrol vessels to Australian border forces to strengthen them. If the plan was approved by the authorities, the corvettes would be built in Australia by Lüerssen Australia.

The first corvette could be completed by 2028, and subsequent ships would be manufactured and delivered every 10 months, and their cost would be only AUD 500 million per unit.

Written by TDW