Indo-Pacific 2022: Austal shows versatile new OPV 60
Austral unveiled its OPV 60 platform at Indo-Pacific 2022, a ship that will be available in three variants. (Gordon Arthur)
Austal has shown off a new OPV design that straddles a gap in its range, plus it is pursuing unmanned versions of its vessels.
Austal used the occasion of Indo-Pacific 2022 in Sydney to debut its OPV 60 design. To extend the 60m-long platform’s appeal, Austal is offering it in three mission configurations.
The basic steel-hulled design has many things in common, such as a stern ramp for launching RHIBs (instead of davits used on the Evolved Cape class, for example). There is also a stern launchpad for VTOL UAVs, a small crane at the stern and a combat information centre inside.
The baseline vessel has a 10.6m beam and 3m draught. Its top speed is 23.5kt, and the OPV 60 can achieve a
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