Shipbuilding group Austal introduced its Austal Australia division has delivered the 18th Guardian-class Patrol Boat (GCPB) to the Australian Department of Defense. The vessel, Nafanua III, was accepted by representatives from the Department of Defense after which gifted by the Australian Government, to the Samoa Police Service at a handover ceremony held at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia on Wednesday.
Austal Limited Chief Executive Officer Paddy Gregg stated Nafanua III is the third Guardian-class Patrol Boat delivered by Austal in 2023, and one in every of 5 vessels in whole delivered by the corporate’s Western Australian shipyards this calendar yr. “The Austal team has yet again shown how capable, productive and efficient they are with the delivery of this latest Guardian-class Patrol Boat. Nafanua III is the third Guardian we’ve delivered in 2023, in addition to two 58 metre Evolved Cape-class Patrol Boats to the Royal Australian Navy.
“Austal’s Western Australian shipyards, our skilled local workforce and our valued supply chain partners continue to demonstrate a sovereign capability to design, build and sustain naval vessels for Australia, and export markets. In fact, since November 2018 Austal Australia has delivered a total of 29 ships – 18 x Guardian’s, 6 x Evolved Capes, 2 x Capes and 3 x large highspeed ferries. That’s an impressive track record of shipbuilding, of which all stakeholders can be proud,” Mr Gregg stated.
Faster than the earlier/present Pacific-class patrol boats, with improved seakeeping, higher facilities, and an enhanced mission functionality – together with an built-in RHIB stern launch and restoration system – the Guardian-class Patrol Boat supplies Samoa with a a lot improved naval asset to hold out border patrols, regional policing, search and rescue, and lots of different operations domestically and internationally. The Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement Project was awarded to Austal Australia in May 2016, with subsequent, contract choices awarded in April 2018 and November 2022 taking the mission to 22 Page 2 of three vessels, valued at greater than A$350 million, in whole. Papua New Guinea, Fiji, the Federated States of Micronesia, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Palau, Samoa, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Timor-Leste are receiving vessels.
Austal Australia’s service middle in Cairns, incorporating a 1,200 tonne (80 meter LOA) slipway and a 1,120 tonne cellular boat hoist, continues to offer in-service help to the rising Guardian-class Patrol Boat fleet; with greater than 100 individuals employed in quite a lot of engineering and sustainment roles within the Far North Queensland metropolis.
The 39.5 meter metal monohull patrol boat – designed, constructed and sustained by Austal Australia – is predicated on a confirmed design platform that has included the 38 meter Bay-class, 56 meter Armidale-class and 58 meter Cape-class patrol boats which are in service with the Australian Border Force and Royal Australian Navy.
