Canberra has accepted the 21st Guardian-class patrol boat from Austal as part of an ongoing program to bolster security across Australian allies in the South Pacific.
The “Te Mataili III” was handed over in a ceremony held at the Royal Australian Navy’s HMAS Stirling base on Garden Island and then received by Tuvaluan Prime Minister Feleti Teo.
It will replace Tuvalu’s present Guardian vessel of the same name, which sailed from 2019 until being damaged beyond repair due to twin cyclones hitting the country in 2023.
“Austal Australia has now delivered 21 Guardian-class Patrol Boats in just five years, which is a fantastic achievement and great demonstration of the capability and efficiency of the Western Australian naval shipbuilding industry,” Austal Limited CEO Paddy Gregg remarked during the event.
“Our thanks yet again to everyone who has contributed and continues to contribute to the success of the Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement Project.”
Increasing Oceanian Patrol Vessels
Canberra launched the 2-billion Australian dollar ($1.3 billion) Guardian patrol boat program in 2014 to support Oceanian partners in addressing “regional security challenges,” including illegal fishing, smuggling, and search and rescue requirements, in their own economic zones.
Before the Te Mataili III, the most recent Guardian vessel arrived in July 2024 and was received by the Republic of Kiribati.
A month earlier, the Australian government invested $26-million for two additional boats on top of the 22 initially ordered under the program.
The Guardian-Class Hull
Austal’s Guardian design combines the architecture of the Royal Australian Navy’s older Bay, Armidale, and Cape-class patrol boats into a 40-meter (131-foot) hull with an 8-meter (26-foot) beam.
The new vessel is powered by twin Caterpillar diesel engines for a maximum speed of 37 kilometers (23 miles) per hour and a range of 3,500 nautical miles (6,482 kilometers).
Depending on user requirements, the ship can be fitted with 12.7-millimeter machine guns and a 20-millimeter remote weapon system.