Former HMPNGS Rabaul completes final voyage
Pacific Patrol Boat the former HMPNGS Rabaul has completed its final voyage to Port Macquarie in Australia from Lombrum Naval Base on Manus Island, after 31 years of service with the Papua New Guinea Defence Force.
The patrol boat was gifted to Papua New Guinea by Australia in 1987 under the Pacific Patrol Boat programme. The country received a total of four vessels under this programme.
Rabaul will now undergo environmentally responsible disposal. The crew will travel to the Defence International Training Centre and then to Western Australia for training before receiving the first of its four Guardian-class replacement vessels in late November 2018.
The replacement vessels are being delivered under the Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement programme. Under the programme, Australia is giving 19 Guardian-class vessels to 12 Pacific Island nations. The programme also includes a region-wide aerial maritime surveillance capability, enhancements to regional coordination, sustainment and training support.
The new Guardian-class patrol boats, being built by Austal, will offer enhanced capability to strengthen the region’s maritime security, fisheries protection and response to transnational crime.
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