The paper discusses the operational requirements for vessels intended to support the civilian authorities within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), A functional analysis is used to translate these requirements into a design specification for a multi-role vessel. An operational analysis is used to identify performance parameters. This leads to the concept of the EEZ Management Vessel (EMV). The vessel is intended to fulfill a wide range of roles in support of civilian authorities during peacetime and periods of tension. The basic design can be modified to suit customer's particular requirements either through increasing length and/or changing layout and equipment fit. The new River Class Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) built by VT and chartered to the Royal Navy are the first vessels based on this design. A brief summary of this project is given. Possible variants of the basic design that show the inherent flexibility of the concept are described.
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