Cape-class patrol boat
ACV Cape St George on Darwin Harbour in 2014
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Class overview | |
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Name | Cape class |
Builders | Austal |
Operators |
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Preceded by |
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Cost | AU$54 million (US$40.6 million) per unit (FY 2020) |
Built |
|
In service | 2013–present |
Planned | 22 |
Completed | 18 |
Active | 18 |
General characteristics | |
Type | Patrol boat |
Displacement | 400 Tonnes |
Length | 57.8 m (189 ft 8 in) |
Beam | 10.3 m (33 ft 10 in) |
Draught | 3 m (9 ft 10 in) |
Propulsion | |
Speed | 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph) |
Range | 4,000 nmi (7,400 km; 4,600 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) |
Endurance | 28 days |
Boats & landing craft carried |
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Crew | 18 |
Sensors and processing systems |
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Armament | 2 x .50 calibre machine guns[2] |
The Cape class is a
Design and construction
The
According to media reports, prior to the tender process, information about the project was leaked to Austal by a senior Customs official.[9][10] The leak was reported to occur during an investigation of claims that the tendering requirements had been set up to favour Austal.[9] Customs stated in March 2013 that reports of leaks during the tendering process were unfounded, and that internal and external investigations of the accusation concluded that the tender process had not been compromised or set up to favour a particular tenderer.[9][10]
Construction of the new vessels started in February 2012,[needs update] with entry into service planned for between March 2013 and August 2015.[4][5] The first vessel was launched in January 2013, and named Cape St. George on 15 March 2013.[11] The boats have been named after eight capes in Australia: Cape St. George, Cape Byron, Cape Nelson, Cape Sorell, Cape Jervis, Cape Leveque, Cape Wessel, and Cape York.[1] The final vessel, Cape York, was delivered at the end of August 2015.[12] The project cost A$330 million, including in-service support to be provided by Austal: the largest procurement undertaken by the Customs and Border Protection Service.[12][13] Although originally due to leave service in 2010, ships of the Bay class remained in service until the Cape class fully entered service.[3] In Australian service, the patrol boats were initially identified with the ship prefix "ACV" (Australian Customs Vessel); this was changed to "ABFC" (Australian Border Force Cutter) following the establishment of the Australian Border Force.
On 13 December 2015, Austal announced that two more Cape-class vessels had been ordered.[14] The $63 million contract is with the National Australia Bank, who will charter the patrol boats to the Department of Defence on their completion in mid-2017.[14] The new vessels will be included in the in-service support contract for the Border Force patrol boats, and if Defence does not continue on with the charter after the initial three-year period, the National Australia Bank can sell the patrol boats back to Austal for residual value.[14] The two vessels, Cape Fourcroy and Cape Inscription, are in service.
In July 2018, the government of
In May 2020, the Royal Australian Navy placed an order for six 'Evolved' Cape-class vessels.[16][17] The 'Evolved' Cape-class has several enhancements and has increased crew capacity from 22 to 32 people.[18][19] In April 2022, the RAN ordered two additional 'Evolved' Cape-class vessels.[20][21] Austal delivered the first of the 'Evolved' Cape-class Cape Otway to the RAN in March 2022.[22] In November 2023, the RAN ordered two new vessels to replace and significantly enhance the RAN's at-sea navigation and seamanship training capability.[23]
Operational history
Permanent berthing facilities at East Arm Wharf in Port Darwin (the ship's main base of operations) were commissioned in December 2015 and became fully operational in February 2016.[24]
Following availability issues with the Armidale class, Cape Byron and Cape Nelson were chartered by the RAN from July 2015 to the end of 2016 to supplement naval patrol boat availability.[25] In naval service, the patrol boats are crewed by RAN personnel, operate from HMAS Cairns, and are identified with the Australian Defence Vessel (ADV) prefix, but retain the blue-and-red customs colour scheme.[8]
Ships in class
Prefix | Name | Pennant | Builder | Status | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Australian Border Force (8) | |||||
ABFC | Cape St. George | Austal, Henderson | Active | ||
ABFC | Cape Byron | Active | |||
ABFC | Cape Nelson | Active | |||
ABFC | Cape Sorell | Active | |||
ABFC | Cape Jervis | Active | |||
ABFC | Cape Leveque | Active | |||
ABFC | Cape Wessel | Active | |||
ABFC | Cape York | Active | |||
Royal Australian Navy (12) | |||||
ADV | Cape Fourcroy | 310 | Austal, Henderson | Active | |
ADV | Cape Inscription | 320 | Active | ||
ADV | Cape Otway | 314 | Active | ||
ADV | Cape Peron | 315 | Active | ||
ADV | Cape Naturaliste | 316 | Active | ||
ADV | Cape Capricorn | 317 | Active | ||
ADV | Cape Woolamai | 318 | Active[26][27] | ||
ADV | Cape Pillar | 319 | Active | ||
ADV | Cape Solander | 312 | Under construction | ||
ADV | Cape Schanck | 313 | Under construction | ||
ADV | TBA | Ordered | |||
ADV | TBA | Ordered | |||
Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard (2)
| |||||
TTS | Port of Spain | CG41 | Austal, Henderson | Active | |
TTS | Scarborough | CG42 | Active |
Citations
- ^ a b c "Cape Class Patrol Boats, Australia". Naval Technology. Verdict Media Limited. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
- ^ "Immigration and Border Protection Portfolio – Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee". Parliament of Australia. Senate – Estimates. 19 October 2015. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
- ^ a b Parnell, Navy and Customs vessels cut back on border patrols.
- ^ a b Govt to buy new border patrol vessels Australian Security Magazine.
- ^ a b "Austal Awarded Cape Class Patrol Boat Contract". Media Releases. Austal. 12 August 2011. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 23 August 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f Saunders (ed.), IHS Jane's Fighting Ships 2012–2013, p. 39.
- ^ a b "Austal Patrol 58 – Cape Class" (PDF). Austal. May 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 September 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
- ^ a b c Paroz, Des (5 December 2015). "Cape Class ships join the Fleet". Navy Daily. Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
- ^ a b c Besser & Snow, $350 million boat deal leak revealed.
- ^ a b "Media Statement – Bay Class Replacement Vessel process – 19 March 2013". Australian Customs and Border Protection Service. Australian Customs and Border Protection Service. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
- ^ "First Cape Class Patrol Boat officially named". Austal Media Release. Austal. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
- ^ a b Rahmat, Ridzwan (31 August 2015). "Austal delivers Australia's final Cape-class patrol vessel". Sea Platforms. IHS Jane's 360. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
- ^ Everingham, Sara (8 June 2015). "Customs Cape Class Patrol Boats used for border security struggling to find permanent berth". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
- ^ a b c "Expansion of Cape Class Program" (Press release). Austal. 13 December 2015. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
- ^ "GOVERNMENT OF TRINIDAD & TOBAGO ANNOUNCES FUTURE ACQUISITION OF TWO AUSTAL CAPE CLASS PATROL BOATS". Austal: Corporate. 29 July 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
- ^ "Austal Australia awarded A$324 million contract to build six Cape Class Patrol Boats". Austal (Press release). 1 May 2020. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
- ^ Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds; Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price (1 May 2020). "New patrol boats to boost Navy capability". Department of Defence Ministers (Press release). Retrieved 17 September 2022.
- ^ Nicholson, Dylan (1 May 2020). "Navy to get new patrol boats to boost capability". Defence Connect. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
- ^ "Cape-class Patrol Boat (Austal Patrol 58)". Austal. 9 December 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
- ^ "Austal Australia to build an additional two Evolved Cape-class Patrol Boats for the Royal Australian Navy". Austal (Press release). 18 April 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
- ^ Prime Minister Scott Morrison; Minister for Defence Peter Dutton; Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price (18 April 2022). "Keeping our borders safe and supporting Australian industry". Liberal Party of Australia (Press release). Archived from the original on 21 May 2022.
- ^ Minister for Defence Peter Dutton (23 March 2022). "Acceptance of first evolved Cape class patrol boat". Department of Defence Ministers (Press release). Retrieved 17 September 2022.
- ^ "Securing continuous Naval Shipbuilding at Henderson Shipyard in Western Australia".
- ^ "federal/2015/12/18/australian-border-force-in-darwin.html". Archived from the original on 26 February 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
- ^ McPhedran, Ian (9 October 2015). "The $3 million cost of Navy's decision to lease patrol boats for border protection". News.com.au. News Corp Australia. Archived from the original on 30 April 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
- ^ Navy, corporateName=Royal Australian. "Current Ships". www.navy.gov.au. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
- ^ "Austal delivers 5th Evolved Cape-class Patrol Boat to Royal Australian Navy". 23 June 2023.
References
Books
- Saunders, Stephen, ed. (2012). IHS Jane's Fighting Ships 2012–2013. OCLC 793688752.
News articles
- "Govt to buy new border patrol vessels". Australian Security Magazine. 23 June 2010. Archived from the original on 4 March 2011. Retrieved 16 July 2010.
- Besser, Linton; Snow, Deborah (18 March 2013). "$350 million boat deal leak revealed". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 3 July 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
- Parnell, Sean (26 July 2010). "Navy and Customs vessels cut back on border patrols". The Australian. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
External links
- Cape Class Patrol Boats at Austal website