Cost Effective, Highly Capable Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV's)

Philosophy     ::   The Design Process   ::   Construction Support   ::   Continuing OPV Trends

STXM has developed a suite of OPV designs, ranging in size from 25 to 90 metres, with varying operational and performance capabilities, to meet the requirements of clients around the world.

PV 45 - Offshore Patrol Vessel (25 Knots)  

  PHILOSOPHY

Traditionally, OPV's have been designed to the same military standards applied to surface combatants, whose primary function has been to deliver a sophisticated long range weapons package using a vessel as small and as light as possible.   The use of military standards for almost all material and construction, plus the tightly packed spaces, has resulted in high shipyard costs.   Equipment and systems designed for high shock and low noise requirements have further increased the overall ship price.   Applying this approach to the changing role of OPV's makes them unnecessarily expensive and often unsuited to their intended function.

STX Canada Marine's philosophy is to design the ship to relevant commercial standards, fit a weapons system as appropriate, as well as simplifying the ship design, material procurement and construction phases.

Examples of this philosophy are:

• Design to a moderate level of shock, radiated noise and damage survivability
• Achieve a practical degree of stealth capability  
• Engineer greater seaworthiness at higher speeds in a slightly larger, but easier to build vessel
• Use commercially available equipment  
• Design high internal volume, easy to outfit spaces  
• Install weapons systems to meet the requirements of the navy in question  
• Provide shipyards with a design and build package, including detail design, material data and complete equipment packages.

The result is a robust offshore patrol vessel, which is more cost effective than similar size surface combatants designed in the traditional way.

72M Fisheries P.V." Leonard J.Cowley" PV85 - " Protector" Class OPV New Zealand Navy   25 M " Tiira" Class Patrol Vessel     Finnish Frontier Guard (25 Knots) PV55 - Offshore Patrol Vessel (25 Kn)

THE DESIGN PROCESS Experienced STXM staff work closely with our clients, using many in-house computer programs and our extensive vessel database to define vessel characteristics and to assure that, whenever possible, the proposed vessel design will be improved based on the success of an in-service STX Canada Marine designed vessel.   The design process includes the following: General arrangements showing compliance with Owner requirements Hull form development from one of a series of existing vessels with operational experience matching the performance requirements Structural arrangement and analysis, including FEA, as required, to ensure optimization of strength and vibration characteristics Machinery arrangements and systems development, confirming simplicity of installation, operation and maintenance Contract design package that permits a builder to provide the client with a firm fixed price for delivery of the vessel.   48 M " Rauma" Class OPV (30 Knots)     CONSTRUCTION SUPPORT While many design firms reach the limits of their expertise at the end of the design phase, STX  Canada/US  Marine, with its shipbuilding background, supported by the STX Offshore & Shipbuilding group, can continue to assist clients with the following: A qualified bidders list and evaluation of shipyard bids Production drawings to support construction and outfit of the vessel Purchase specification and vendor selection Qualified personnel on-site to supervise construction and equipment installation Trials procedures and supervision Crew instruction and vessel operations manuals.

STXM's continued presence throughout the design and build process can eliminate many of the direction changes experienced by ship owners when project responsibility is relinquished to others.

CONTINUING OPV TRENDS

STXM continues to field inquiries for OPV's designed for the patrol of territorial waters and to perform non-military duties such as:

• Customs enforcement and drug interdiction
• Fisheries protection
• Search and rescue and marine evacuation
• Disaster relief.

Accordingly, OPV designs will continue to focus on the development of several important vessel characteristics, including:

• The ability to launch and recover boarding or interceptor boats in open ocean conditions
• The ability to support helicopter operations, allowing an increased search horizon
• The ability to accommodate and deploy an enforcement detachment
• The ability to rescue and provide life support to the survivors of marine accidents
• Low through-life cost by the use of commercially available, good quality equipment
• Efficient operation through optimum hull configuration and structural design
• A propulsion power plant having provision for adequate intercept speed and loiter drives for slow speed surveillance operations, if necessary
• Superior crew habitability through a reduction in ship motions, low noise and vibration levels and a good standard of accommodation
• Incorporation of appropriate stealth technology such as low radar signature.

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