Australian shipbuilder Austal has launched the first of two Cape-class patrol boats for the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard (TTCG), under construction at the company’s Henderson, Western Australia shipyard.
Under a A$126 million contract awarded by the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (GORTT), Austal is constructing two 58-metre boats for the TTCG, scheduled for delivery in the first half of 2021.
The new TTCG Capes are based on the 58-metre aluminium monohull patrol boat, first developed by Austal in Australia for Australian Border Force.
The vessels have a 4,000 nautical mile range and 28-day patrol cycle, with a crew of up to 22. Each Cape is equipped with two high-speed 7.3-metre rigid hull inflatable boats used for intercepting other vessels.
Austal is also delivering 21 Guardian-class patrol boats (GCPB) for 12 Pacific Island nations and Timor Leste under the SEA3036-1 Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement Project, with eight patrol boats delivered since 2018.
Twelve Pacific Island nations including Papua New Guinea, Fiji, the Federated States of Micronesia, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Palau, Samoa, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Timor Leste will receive the vessels through to 2023.
Photo: Austal