Beyond the Binary: Choosing the Royal New Zealand Navy’s Next Frigate

Beyond the Binary: Choosing the Royal New Zealand Navy’s Next Frigate

01 Sep 26
Posted by: Jonathan Bannister
23 minutes, 38 seconds read
Message from the Editor

Does the RNZN have its sights set on the right future frigate class? The author believes the answer requires asking difficult questions about force structure and doctrine rather than purely technical specifications. A 25 minute read.

The debate surrounding the Royal New Zealand Navy’s future frigate replacement is increasingly focused on two candidates: the British Type 31 and the Japanese-designed Upgraded Mogami-class frigate selected by Australia. This focus is understandable. The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that discussions with the Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy are being prioritised to inform the next stage of Maritime Fleet Renewal. Both programmes are sufficiently mature for detailed analysis, and are associated with countries with which New Zealand maintains close defence relationships. The Ministry ha…

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