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to the Marine Police throughout the patrol sectors within one hour.
b.
Availability. It is not possible to define this precisely until the vessel is selected, but the following is an estimated pattern for craft of this type:
104
(1) Refits of 6 week duration with 104 weeks between the end of one and the start of the next.
(2) A 'docking and essential defects' period of 3 weeks, with 33 weeks intervening.
(3)
A ship's staff maintenance period of 1 day per week.
These figures give a 72% availability rate which means that to ensure that 4 vessels are available for deployment in time of tension 5.55 craft will be required. This can be reduced to 4.65 by adjusting or deferring the ships staff maintenance day in period of tension to increase the availability rate to 86%.
The study therefore concluded that, unless the current operational pattern is altered, 5 craft will be required.
Communications Study
7. A system similar to that used in comparable UK based patrol craft is planned with certain modifications to meet local requirements. The present net, based on obsolescent insecure equipment will be replaced by one which is fully secure. This will also entail some changes to shore based equipment.
Weapons Study
გ.
Two alternative gun systems of similar capability are under consideration. A choice will be made later this year and will depend on the progress of the development programme for one of the systems.
Costs
9. Costs quoted on the craft specifications attached are at 1977/78 prices. They should however be treated with caution. They do not include the military equipment fit (eg communications and weapons) and, in the case of the OSPREY represent only the designers estimate.
10. The most up-to-date spread of expenditure available which we are using for our own financial planning purposes is as follows:
£M
*80/1
1.4
81/2
6.8
82/3
9.1
83/4
84/5
TOTAL
3.5
0.1
20.9
These figures are at September 1978 price levels and the cost would of course be divided between ourselves and the Hong Kong Government on the usual 25 : 75 basis.
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