Page 94 - Australian Defence Magazine May 2022

94 SEAPOWER PATROL BOATS
MAY 2022 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
“The program started from a set of re- quirements from the Commonwealth which, for our team, represented an oppor- tunity to start with a clean sheet of paper. And to see that designed in Australia, built in Australia, with 68.5 per cent Australian Industry Content (AIC), using Australian steel, and now performing so well in service, is something we’re really satisfied with. We hope to get further opportunities in the fu- ture where we can continue to demonstrate that capability.”
SUSTAINMENT
Since late 2018, Austal’s Cairns Service
Centre, incorporating a 1,200-tonne (80
metre LOA) slipway and a 1,120-tonne mo-
bile boat hoist, has coordinated local sup-
port for the growing Guardian-class fleet and the outgoing Pacific-class fleet.
While Austal does not cover direct maintenance of the new vessels – that responsibility lies with the Pacific na- tions – Austal’s Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement In Ser-
new Regional Maintenance Centres will play a part in the boats’ maintenance and docking as the Commonwealth transitions to its new sustainment model, Plan Galileo.
THE FUTURE OF AUSTAL’S HENDERSON SHIPYARD
The last boat under the Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement Project as it currently stands is expected to be delivered in mid-2023. However, Klingberg reveals that Austal has plans to market the boat further to either the Commonwealth or to other customers, which would likely see the Henderson ship- yard dedicated to the Guardian-class through to 2024-2025.
“We expect there’s a likelihood of the program being extended either through the existing Pacific program, or finding a variant for other customers,” he said. “The aim of this program was to build a robust, simple boat which is cost-effective to own, operate and maintain. We expect there will be countries with navies or border force where a vessel of this size, price, and with capability now proven in service, will provide a lot of value.
“The focus is on the Pacific, but when we look further to the north of us and then out into the Indo-Pacific region, there are customers there too that we think potentially re- quire the same sort of capability.”
Beyond construction of the Guardian-class and Evolved Cape-class programs, Austal expects the Henderson and Hope Valley Road shipyards to be re-purposed to support other Commonwealth programs.
“By 2024-2025, we see the other programs that we’re currently tendering for start to come online. In the second half of this decade, there’s a lot of government shipbuild- ing work slated for the Henderson area that we expect that Austal will play a large part in.”
Austal is planning to deliver five Guardian-class Patrol Boats, plus four Evolved Cape-class Patrol Boats in 2022 – an unprecedented nine ships to be delivered to the Com- monwealth in one year. ■
ABOVE: Princess Lātūfuipeka Tukuʻaho, High Commissioner of Tonga with Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price with Tonga’s Guardian-Class Patrol Boat Ngahau Siliva
“AUSTAL IS PARTICULARLY PROUD OF THE PROGRAM FOR ITS DEMONSTRATION OF TRUE SOVEREIGN CAPABILITY”
vice Support (PPBR-ISS) program includes a ‘reach-back’ service which provides a 24-hour support hotline, the delivery of spare parts where requested, and in-country support, too, where requested.
Klingberg noted that there have been particular challenges in sus- taining a fleet dispersed across so many nations and over such a wide area.
“The challenge, which has been further complicated by COVID-19, is the time it takes to transport items throughout the Pacific. Within Australia – say, Sydney to Perth, or Ad- elaide to Darwin – there’s overnight freight to get parts trans- ported quickly. But in the Pacific, you might only have flights that run twice a week into somewhere, and then sometimes those flights aren’t available at all. So, just the time frames of moving equipment and spares is challenging.
“Along with that, moving people about is challenging as well, and that’s only gotten more difficult during COVID. Essentially since people weren’t able to travel, we had to rely on providing specific information to assist [the na- tions] through tasks which they might not have otherwise tackled themselves. And that’s proven reasonably success- ful, which is a credit to the nations.”
The boats also return to Cairns for service visits on a 30-monthly and 60-monthly cycle.
“The support model has the boats returning to Australia on a 60-month docking cycle,” Klingberg said. “The Com- monwealth is currently bringing them in at the 30-month which is a smart move, because we can get a visual on how the boat is performing and can address any issues be- fore they become detrimental to operations ahead of the 60-month docking.”
Beyond the 60-month period, Klingberg expects that the
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