Castle-class frigates ‘not considered’

Press, 1 August 1989, Page 6

Castle-class frigates ‘not considered’

By

BRENDON BURNS

in Wellington

At no time did the Navy consider replacing its existing Leander-class frigates with Castle-class vessels, says the Minister of Defence, Mr Tizard.

He was responding yesterday to the release at the week-end of papers showing the Navy had in 1986 recommended building four Castle-class vessels in New Zealand. Mr Tizard said the anti- ; defence lobby had once again set out to deliber- j ately dupe the public and < news media with false i and misleading statements. The Just Defence group ] released the papers en- < dorsing the proposal to i buy Castle-class ships ! after obtaining them ; under the Official In- i formation Act. Just Defence did not ( claim the Castle-class i vessels were seen as re- ' placements for frigates, but suggested they could s

serve in this role. Mr Tizard said that in 1983 the Navy recommended buying submarines as its main combatant force. This decision came after the then-Govern-ment decided not to replace the existing Leanders with new Dutch fri-_ gates. It realised vessels would still be needed to patrol the exclusive economic zone, provide a naval presence in the South Pacific, and operate a helicopter and towed array. A Navy team went overseas and recommended Castle-class vessels. "These vessels were seen as a'replacement for

the 107 ft Lake-class patrol craft which were purchased to patrol the 12mile territorial sea,” said Mr Tizard. “They were never viewed as replacements for the Leanders.” A Just Defence spokesman, Mr Kevin Hackwell, said last evening Mr Tizard had confirmed what had been earlier stated. , Mr Hackwell said submarines and Castle-class vessels were to replace Leander-class frigates. The argument of Just Defence, now that submarines were abandoned, was that the Castle-class vessel could be a low-cost option instead of Anzac frigates.