Fifth Guardian-class patrol boat delivered
Austal has delivered the fifth Guardian-class patrol boat to the Australian Department of Defence, the company announced on 8 November.
The vessel, RSIPV Gizo, has been gifted by the Australian government to the government of the Solomon Islands as part of Australia’s Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement (PPB-R) programme.
Austal was awarded the PPB-R project in May 2016, with an additional contract option awarded in April 2018, taking the programme to 21 vessels valued at more than $335 million.
Twelve Pacific Island nations are receiving the vessels, 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.
Austal’s service centre in Cairns is providing in-service support to the Guardian class patrol boat fleet.
The 39.5m steel monohull patrol boat is designed for border patrols, regional policing, and search and rescue.
RSIPV Gizo is one of two Guardian-class patrol boats to be delivered to and operated by the Royal Solomon Islands police force.
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