It is the ship type that some observers predict will constitute an increasing proportion of naval spend in the near-term. Yet the application of offshore patrol vessel (OPV) terminology has been plagued by inconsistency and ambiguity, both by those who design and build such vessels, and by the naval services and maritime security agencies that operate them. As a consequence, some ships that would be conventionally categorised as corvettes or light frigates - and with platform performance and combat system capability worthy of such characterisation - have found themselves labelled as OPVs. This is often a matter of perception and presentation -adopting the OPV moniker may assuage political sensitivities, both internal and external - regarding this particular investment in military capability.
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