Does that include wages? I believe the US pays its service personal very well. Also, I can imagine that the USN ships spend a lot less time in port, and would be deployed into dangerous areas where the crew gets combat allowances.

Whats the crewing on a Thetis, weapons mix etc? In the past when we used cold weather dominant designs (like the old Darings - which were a classic destroyer design) cost us money in getting them to run properly under tropical conditions, same problems for the Leanders, Rothesays, Salisbury class escorts, and the same for the Q class frigs as well. Costs would be the same now as efficient air systems are a lot easier to retro install etc... But I think you'll find some resistance to aust getting cold water designs as a legacy of it. OTOH NZ may be a better bet as their overall defence force running costs have been a crippler. They need to replace their 3rd unit (ex mod Leander?) and I believe that the US had proposed an almost "give away" price for an OHP.

The Thetis is a Patrol Ship with half the crew and barley any weaponary. The Thetis is often suggested as a good candidate for patroling the Southern and Indian Oceans because of its lower costs but it isn't a Frigate and shouldn't be mistaken for one.

I do have fairly recent figures around here somewhere for operating costs but I'm not going to bother looking because IIRC that should be pretty close. Not quite sure I get what your point is though.

Properly outfitted O.P.H. ships would be suitable for Canada to bring up its offshore coastal patrol capability. Canada's entire surface fleet is barely operational as a consequence of the sustained load placed on it by the demands of supporting American operations wrt Afghanistan and Iraq. Of course there is the matter of a shortage of manpower for the current fleet. Acquisition of some O.P.H. class ships would require a change in policy regarding the size and nature of the Canadian Navy. Not too likely in the immediate future. Personally, I would like to have seen them snap up the K class destroyers that were interminably negotiated to Taiwan. That would have added some mean to the lean Canadian military capability.

The Thetis figures include wages. Three out of four Thetis are at sea at all times.

Thetis class are particularly for the arctic, they should be well sailing after many earlier designs with flaws: The old Beskytteren had problems in following sea. As to reduced capability: Their capabilities have been downplayed politically to get a pacifist party to vote for them. Fisheries protection! Indeed! Poaching from submarines and long range patrol aircraft! As to comparable capability: Is a OHP nescessary for the task?

Thomas, why are these Danish ships cheaper to operate than OHP frigates? You need to state some reasons why. Lower manning levels? Less fuel consumed because OHP frigates typically travel farther than one side of the Baltic to the other on a cruise? Or are you implying that these Scandanavian ships have some extra special, almost magical, cost effectiveness?

Theoretically, there is every reason why the Thetis should be cheaper to run than the OHP's. For one thing they are younger and thus should, all things being equal, have less stuff breaking down. The Thetis require roughly 1/3 the manpower with consequent reductions in training, salary, feeding and medical costs and so on. There are fewer combat systems on the Thetis to maintain (elimination of the Mk 13 missile launchers on the OHP's is a cost-saving move). Because of lower required speed performance they are powered by economical diesel engines not high-powered gas turbines. So its quite logical for the Thetis to be cheaper to operate.

While nodding to Mark F and concurring: The Thetis class does not sail in the Baltic. Their official role is "Fisheries Protection" in the North Atlantic. Lot of nasty poaching from Strategic bombers and Russian submarines.??!!? There are 2 at Greenland and 1 at the Fairisles at any one time. Correct Mark F: But the real issue is: Is the OHP class the right vessel for the task. The Thetis operate in some of the worst weather in serious iceing conditions. Whether the Antarctic and Arctic waters are comparable I am not sure, but a Danish expedition used an Arctic commercial ship from Lauridsen Line (rounded bottom so as not to be screwed down by the ice - rolled like a maniac under most seaconditions). True the OHP might be better armed, but is ist needed?? The threat of Bears out of Murmansk must be minimal. Secondly: As the Thetis class have modular arms containers, wouldn't it have been more economical with 2 Thetis in stead of 1 OHP ????