Austal’s patrol boat named at Garden Island

Delegates from Austal and the Royal Australian Navy gathered at HMAS Stirling on Garden Island yesterday, holding a special ceremony to mark the delivery and naming of the Navy’s newest Cape-class patrol boat.

The 10th patrol boat of its kind, Australian Defence Vessel Cape Inscription is the second Cape-class boat designed and constructed for the Navy as part of a $63 million contract.

ADV Cape Inscription’s delivery follows the arrival of ADV Cape Fourcroy which was rolled out by Austal in December 2016.

Austal chief operating officer Patrick Gregg said newest addition was completed on time and on budget.

“The Cape-class has set new benchmarks in patrol boat design and capability,” he said.

“Austal designed and built these vessels to secure and protect Australia’s extensive maritime borders, with eight currently in service for the Australian Border Force and now two in service for the RAN.”

The new vessel is 58m long and has an operation range of up to 4,000 miles.

It will operate with a crew of 22 and is able to carry out 28 day patrols with the capacity to launch two boats at the same time.

Austal chief executive David Singleton said the company had delivered 74 patrol boats since 1998.

“The Cape-class Patrol Boat Program achieves Austal's strategy of balancing export and domestic production and forms the basis of a sustainable model of naval shipbuilding in Australia,” Mr Singleton said.

Along with German designer Fassmer, Austal is bidding to design and build 12 new Offshore Patrol Vessels for Navy as part of the Federal Government’s Naval Shipbuilding Program.