Shipbuilder Austal Australia has ‘cut metal’ on the third of six new Cape-class patrol boats to be constructed for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
The plate-cutting marks the start of construction of Hull 813, part of a A$324 million, six vessel contract announced on 1 May 2020.
Austal Chief Executive Officer David Singleton said the Henderson, Western Australia shipyard now had five 58-metre Cape-class patrol boats in various stages of production.
“This third Cape for the Royal Australian Navy adds to the two already under construction by our … shipbuilders. Lined up prior to those, we have two more Capes for the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard , which are on track for delivery in the first half of 2021,” Singleton said.
Based on Austal’s 58-metre aluminium monohull patrol boat design, the new RAN Capes include a number of enhancements that further extend the capability of the vessel and the fleet. Crew accommodation has been increased by 10 people, to now total 32 and ‘quality-of-life’ provisions have been enhanced.
Delivery of the first of six Capes, Hull 811, is scheduled in September 2021 with subsequent deliveries of remaining vessels through to mid-2023.
Austal is also delivering 21 Guardian-class patrol boats for 12 Pacific Island nations and Timor Leste under the SEA3036-1 Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement Project, with eight patrol boats delivered since 2018.