Austal Restricted is happy to announce Austal Australia has delivered the eleventh Guardian-class Patrol Boat (GCPB) to the Australian Division of Defence. The vessel, the RKS Teanoai II, was then gifted by the Australian Authorities to the Authorities of the Republic of Kiribati at a certificates signing ceremony held at Austal Australia’s Henderson shipyard. The ceremony was attended by Mr Vince Connelly MP, Member for Stirling, Rear Admiral Wendy Malcolm, Head of Maritime Techniques inside the Division of Defence Functionality Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG), Air Commodore Fiona Dowse, Senior ADF Officer WA, Ms Fleur Davies, Assistant Secretary, New Zealand, Polynesia and Micronesia on the Division of Overseas Affairs and Commerce; and Honorary Consul-Basic of Kiribati, Mr Paul Wenham.
The vessel is the primary Guardian-class Patrol Boat to be delivered to Kiribati beneath the Pacific Patrol Boat Substitute Undertaking (SEA3036-1), a part of the Australian Authorities’s Pacific Maritime Safety Program; and replaces the unique RKS Teanoai, a Pacific-class Patrol Boat delivered in 1994. Quicker, 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 Boats present the Kiribati Police Pressure 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 Substitute (PPB-R) Undertaking was awarded to Austal in Might 2016, with an extra contract possibility awarded in April 2018, taking this system to 21 vessels, valued at greater than A$335 million.
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Austal Chief Government Officer Paddy Gregg mentioned,”The most recent supply of the Pacific Patrol Boat Substitute Undertaking highlighted the resilience, flexibility and effectivity of the groups collaborating from Austal Australia and the Division of Defence. The Teanoai II was initially scheduled for supply in the course of 2020, however as a result of COVID19 pandemic was postponed till such time as we might get the Kiribati crew safely into Australia. Whereas the supply of this explicit vessel was postponed, it didn’t have an effect on, delay or hinder the development or supply of subsequent Guardian-class Patrol Boats and we stay on observe to ship all 21 vessels by the top of 2023. The Austal Australia and SEA3036-1 Undertaking groups have labored collectively efficiently to keep up productiveness and meet the targets of the Pacific Patrol Boat Substitute Undertaking, all through the COVID19 pandemic.”
Twelve Pacific Island nations together with Papua New Guinea, Fiji, the Federated States of Micronesia, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Prepare dinner Islands, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Palau, Samoa, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Timor Leste will obtain the vessels by to 2023. The Pacific Patrol Boat Substitute Undertaking helps greater than 200 direct jobs at Austal Australia and greater than 200 oblique jobs nationally by Australian companies contracted by Austal. Austal Australia’s expanded service centre in Cairns, incorporating a 1,200 tonne (80 metre LOA) slipway and a 1,120 tonne cell boat hoist, continues to offer in-service help to the rising Guardian-class Patrol Boat fleet; with greater than 100 folks now employed in a wide range of engineering and sustainment roles within the Far North Queensland metropolis.
