Australia has accepted its 20th Guardian-class patrol craft from Austal as part of the government’s Pacific Maritime Security Program (PMSP).
The PMSP is an ongoing initiative introduced in 2016 to employ a fleet of small patrol vessels to secure coastal territories of Australia’s allies in the South Pacific.
The latest system, named Tobwaan Mainiku, was delivered to the Australian Department of Defence at Austal’s shipyard in Henderson, Western Australia.
It will operate under the Republic of Kiribati, one of the approximately 15 nations engaged in the effort.
“Effectively, we’ve delivered one new Guardian-class Patrol Boat every four months (on average) over the past 5 years, highlighting Western Australia’s industry-leading naval shipbuilding capability and productivity,” Austal Limited CEO Paddy Gregg said during the ceremony.
“We again extend our thanks to our supply chain and defence industry partners for their continued support and collaboration in delivering the Guardian-class Patrol Boats for the Australian Government and our Pacific Island neighbours.”
The Guardian-Class Patrol Vessel
Deliveries of the Guardian-class patrol boat began two years after the PMSP’s announcement. Including the Tobwaan Mainiku, the program has cost over 400 million Australian dollars ($269.5 million) since its inception.
The Guardian is based on a model that combines the capabilities of the Royal Australian Navy’s older Bay-class, Armidale-class, and Cape-class patrol vessels.
The new 39.5-meter (129.7-foot) boat has a beam length of 8 meters (26.3 feet) and accommodations for over 20 sailors.
The ship is powered by twin Caterpillar diesel engines, which can reach speeds of 20 knots (37 kilometers/23 miles per hour) and a range of up to 3,500 nautical miles.
Each Guardian can be fitted with 12.7-millimeter machine guns or similar arms depending on the receiving country’s requirements.
In operations, the Guardian enhances border security, search and rescue, regional policing, and other tasks domestically and internationally.
Before the Tobwaan Mainiku’s arrival, Australia awarded $26 million to Austal in June for two additional Guardian vessels.
In March, Austal shipped the 19th Guardian craft to Fiji to support the PMSP framework.