Austal wins Aussie naval patrol boat contract

High speed shipbuilder Austal Ships is basking in the glow of one of Australia?s most sought after defence contracts, the Royal Australian Navy?s (RAN) contract to supply twelve 56 m aluminium patrol boats. Austal will build the aluminium hulled Armidale class patrol boats while its partner in the project, Defence Maritime Services, will provide maintenance over the vessel?s 15 year lifespan.

The yet-to-be finalised contract will see Austal delivering the vessels, which have an estimated value of A$550 million ($365 million), over a 42 month period.

Austal managing director Bob McKinnon said the work would add momentum to his company?s push into the international patrol and military vessel markets where it had already had considerable success. He believed that being short-listed for the defence work had boosted Austal?s credibility in this area and helped it to secure an order in June for ten 37.50 m high speed patrol boats to the Republic of Yemen?s ministry of defence. He said tendering for the RAN contract had also provided Austal with valuable insights into a number of technical and other issues that would be beneficial in developing future proposals for a wider range of vessel types and sizes.

The new aluminium boats, which will operate out of Cairns and Darwin, will replace the RAN?s 15 Fremantle class patrol boats. They will be equipped with state-of-the art communication systems and their vastly improved weaponry will include Rafael 25 mm Typhoon stabilised cannon.

The new boats will have a 25 % greater fuel range at 3,000 nautical miles and the active ride control system featuring fin stabilisers and trim tabs will enable the boats to operate in a broader range of sea conditions.