UK to build two Offshore Patrol Vessels with £150 million investment?

The UK government is considering a £150 million deal to build two Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs), according to The News. Defence ministers are thought to be weighing up the proposal, discussing not only the strategic capability that the OPVs will provide but the financial implications and the benefits it will bring to UK industry too. If the plans go ahead it could secure the future of the shipbuilding industry in Portsmouth following the completion of the QEC aircraft carriers in 2014. Penny Mordaunt, MP for Portsmouth North and a member of the Commons Defence Select Committee, told the newspaper: “I’m happy to say this is an option that’s been looked at and I’m pushing hard for this to happen. The fact that this document is being discussed between the department and the Treasury is a good indication that it’s a sensible document.” The market for OPVs is booming and just last month BAE Systems delivered the first of