|
While more steel costs money, what is expensive on warships is their combat weapons systems, their electronics and weapon systems. For example, New Zealand is building OPVs that run around $60 or so million in U.S. dollars. Yet, New Zealand will also place a $40 million plus helicopter aboard.
While their OPVs are about half the displacement of their Anzac class frigates, which New Zealand spent around $300 million or so in US dollars. They have a combat weapons system, and more armaments. In the near future Australia is going to build 3 air warfare destroyers that are about twice the displacement of their Anzacs, which will run about $1.5 billion US dollars.
An OPV at $60 million to an Anzac at $300 million to a air warfare destroyer at $1.5 billion. Steel is cheap in comparison, filling the air with combat weapons systems is much more expensive.
|