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for a Squadron comprising several vessels.
10.
The waters around the Colony include many shallow or restricted areas where the
effectiveness of a frigate-size vessel is reduced. While a single frigate solution
can probably be ruled out because of the limitations on its availability, the requirement
of can be satisfied by a Squadron composed of smaller vessels, or of a mix/frigates and
and smaller vessels.
11. In their preparatory work towards the Naval Staff Target, the Naval Staff are
considering the possibilities of a Squadron composed of 1 Frigate and 3 patrol craft, or
of 5 patrol craft. The former would, on the assumption that the frigate would not be
new, result in lower capital costs, but, because of the increased manpower requirements,
stores and engineering support required by the irigate, be more expensive to run. While
at this preliminary stage in the Naval Staff studies, the order of whole-life costs of
these two options are unquantified, it is considered that an all-patrol craft solution
is likely to prove the cheaper of the two. For this reason it is assumed that, while
not finally rejecting the alternative, MOD will use for purposes of illustration the
order of capital and running cost resulting from the procurement and operation of 5
patrol craft (although the precise nunber of vessels and their detailed characteristics
are not at this stage determined).
HONG KONG GOVERNMEN" ATTITUDE AND INTENTIONS
12.
The Secretary for Security of the Hong Kong Government has already been approached informally in order to ascertain the Hong Kong Government's likely attitude to the
replacement of the present patrol craft, and he has discussed this with the Naval Staff
and with AUS(GS, during a visit to London in August. He made it clear that while the
Hong Kong Government accepts (and indeed supports, the continuing need for a Royal Navy
presence in the Colcuy's waters, they are concerned that any.new vessels should be as
inexpensive as possible, because they will be required to meet the major part of the
capital and running costs of the Squadron.
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