OTAGO - P148
Specifications:
Displacement: 1,900 tonnes
Length Overall: 85 metres
Beam: 14metres
Range: 6000 nautical miles
Speed: Maximum continuous 22 knots
Complement :
Core ships company 35
Flight personnel: 10
Government agencies: 4
Additional personnel: 34
Total: 83
Armament: One 25mm Bushmaster Naval gun and two .50 calibre machine guns
Helicopter capability
OTAGO can embark the KAMAN SH-2G (NZ) Seasprite helicopter onboard.
OTAGO will be able to operate throughout New Zealand’s 200 mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the Southern Ocean and the South Pacific. She will carry out a range of roles including patrolling, surveillance, search and rescue, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, support to peacekeeping operations and sea training for the Navy.
OTAGO will conduct maritime patrols in conjunction with the P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft in the New Zealand EEZ, Southern Ocean and South Pacific. The surveillance tasks are primarily non-military in support of civilian agencies and involve specialist staff from government agencies such as NZ Customs and Ministry of Fisheries.
OTAGO is the first Offshore Patrol Vessel to be built for New Zealand. Modules of the ship were built separately, including some in Whangarei, to be assembled at the Tenix shipyard, Williamstown, Australia. The ship is based on a design already in service with the Irish Navy and Maritius Coastguard.
OTAGO will be affiliated with the Otago region of New Zealand; her home ports will be Dunedin and Invercargill/ Bluff.