New Zealand's Ministry of Defence said it has suspended plans to build an Antarctic and Southern Ocean patrol vessel because planned spending is being reassessed due to the impact on the government's budget of costs related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Ministry of Defence in mid-2021 issued a request for information on the cost and potential design of a Southern Patrol Ocean Vessel, reinforced to cope with ice. A business case for ordering the ship had been expected to go before government in 2022 for approval.
According to New Zealand's Defence Assessment 2021 report, the Southern Ocean and Antarctica were becoming increasingly strategically important, and the continent was a potential location for a range of military and security-related activities.
