Shipbuilding team Austal introduced its Austal Australia arm has actually provided the 15th Guardian- course Patrol Boat (GCPB) to the Australian Department ofDefense The vessel, Te Kukupa II, was after that talented by the Australian Government to the Cook Islands at a certification finalizing event at Austal’s shipyard in Henderson, Western Australia.
The brand-new Guardian- course Patrol Boat changes the initial Te Kukupa, a Pacific- course Patrol Boat talented to the Cook Islands in 1989 and also just recently deactivated, under the Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement Project, component of the Australian Government’s Pacific Maritime Security Program.
The Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement Project was granted to Austal Australia in May 2016, with an extra agreement choice granted in April 2018, taking the program to 21 vessels, valued at greater than A$ 335 million. Twelve Pacific Island countries consisting of Papua New Guinea, Fiji, the Federated States of Micronesia, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Palau, Samoa, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and also Timor-Leste will certainly get the vessels with to 2023.
The 39.5-meter steel monohull patrol watercraft– created, built and also maintained by Austal Australia– is based upon a tested layout system that has actually consisted of the 38 meter Bay- course, 56-meter Armidale- course and also 58-meter Cape- course patrol watercrafts that remain in solution with the Australian Border Force and also Royal Australian Navy.
Faster than the previous/current Pacific course patrol watercrafts, with enhanced seakeeping, far better services and also an improved objective ability– consisting of an incorporated RHIB demanding launch and also recuperation system– the Guardian- course Patrol Boat gives the Cook Islands with a much-improved marine property to accomplish boundary patrols, local policing, search and also rescue, and also several various other procedures locally and also globally, according to the shipbuilder.
Austal Limited president Paddy Gregg stated the brand-new vessel was the secondly of 5 Guardian- course Patrol Boats to be provided to the Commonwealth of Australia in CY2022.
“We are well on track to deliver five 40-meter Guardians this calendar year – an outstanding achievement and a great demonstration of our collective industry and team’s capability and productivity in steel shipbuilding,” Gregg stated.
“The Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement Project engages more than 300 suppliers from around Australia. Each one is helping to form the National Naval Shipbuilding Enterprise that is delivering sovereign capability for Australia.
“Our warmest congratulations go to the Cook Islands Police Maritime Wing and we wish ‘fair winds and following seas’ to the Commanding Officer of Te Kukupa II, Tepaki Baxter and his crew.”
Austal Australia’s increased solution facility in Cairns, including a 1,200 tonne (80 metre LOA) slipway and also a 1,120 tonne mobile watercraft hoist, remains to supply in-service assistance to the expanding Guardian- course Patrol Boat fleet.
