Well, Roger: hands up, I'm rapidly going off the idea that this is a good purchase. So I'm joining you there!
But for Project Biro, we need something very cheap and cheerful. If it is built to civilian standards, so be it. Because these are supposed to be patrol vessels, after all. We've got the expensive stuff (i.e. the Valour Class and the subs). And look where that got us. Too expensive to maintain. Too expensive to send to sea for routine patrolling tasks.
With the Project Biro order we can't play fantasy fleets. We have to have hulls in the water and have to have a presence out there at sea where it matters. The level of spec of the DAFF vessels are completely fine for that (except: Sarah Baartman needs a hangar). You might remember I'm the only guy on this forum who thought it was a good idea to get the DAFF vessels integrated into the navy... into a sort of coast guard squadron... but I never convinced anyone back then!
The SAN has always turned up its nose at the coast guard job but it's time to face the fact that we can either (1) hold on by our fingertips to the status of a blue water navy with a lot of ships in Simon's Town harbour or (2) accept that the best job we can do for the Republic is to step into the gap left by the fact that we don't have a coast guard.
Treasury are never in a million years going to give us any more money, so we just have to decide what is the best job we can do with the money we have.
Which is why I'm so puzzled by the 5 billion price tag. How can they possibly spend 5 billion on 3 x IPV's? The original 'corvette' order was only 6.9 billion and inflation doesn't explain all of the difference. The Royal Navy are building 3 x 2,000 ton patrol vessels for 5.5 billion rand. So this is either another colossal piece of corruption or a mistake and the order is not worth 5 billion after all. At the moment I'm praying it's the latter and am waiting to hear more about the price tag. Definitely one for a question in parliament.
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