‘Convert frigates’

Press, 9 October 1980, Page 7

‘Convert frigates’

■ ?A Nelson New Zealand should not build new patrol vessels for its 200-mile fisheries’ zone, said Commander M. R. Pate of H.M.N.Z.S. Taranaki, in Nelson. . Instead he would like to see the Royal New Zealand Navy's existing frigates converted to fisheries protection and training as they reach the end of their operational life. “In my opinion it would be logical to phase in new vessels in the operations field and drop the old ones out for training and resource protection,”, Commander Pate said. “In that way- training is in a warship — a proper Navy ship with a tradition —: a warship that has the equipment a trainee would find later when posted to a frigate,” he said. “You could not have that equipment in a ship that

i was built simply for the fisheries resource. It would ’ be too expensive.” ; r Commander. Pate said the , converted warships would i also be the right size for the i 200-mile zone. . “Our little patrol boats i are really too small for the I 12-mile limit, let alone the - 200-mile zone. i The rough seas round i New Zealand it diffi.l cult for these patrol boats to stay out for very long. 1 People are getting, thrown j about. s “The New Zealand marine s environment appears to be a e lot more demanding on a r ship’s construction and type than even the North Atlans tic, r “The Maui platform i proves that pqint. It was j built for the North Sea, yet 1 was not strong, enough for i its site off Taranaki, which is not the roughest part of t New Zealand waters by any t means.”