Finnish RHIBs for Australian OPVs
Finland’s Boomeranger Boats has received a contract from the Australian Department of Defence to supply Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIBs) for the SEA 1180 Phase 1 Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) programme.
The company will deliver two davit launched 8.5 metre Fast Rescue Boats and one 10.5 metre ramp-launched Special Operations Boat for each of the Royal Australian Navy’s Arafura class OPVs – 41 RHIBs in total.
The RHIBs have inboard engines, and will be capable of undertaking a range of missions including maritime patrol and response.
Both of the RHIB models are existing designs from earlier projects delivered by Boomeranger. The 10.5 metre sea boat is an enhanced variant of the ramp-launched RHIB of the original Luerssen OPV delivered to the Royal Brunei Navy.
The RHIBs will be delivered over a period of ten years. The first delivery will arrive to support acceptance of the first OPV in 2021.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
![How the Hormuz mine threat exposes potential Baltic MCM shortfalls]()
How the Hormuz mine threat exposes potential Baltic MCM shortfalls
Ageing Baltic vessels and an absence of active minehunting vessel programmes in the region have been put under the spotlight in the recent conflict.
-
![“We must end the mentality of ever larger platforms”: Why USVs are scaling]()
“We must end the mentality of ever larger platforms”: Why USVs are scaling
Multiple USV programme milestones announced last week, aligned with a reinforcement of the Royal Navy’s vision for a hybrid fleet, point to innovation-led ambition but also to a structural calculation with resource ceilings that neither London nor Washington can ignore.
-
![As uncrewed naval systems advance, capabilities to counter them are emerging]()
As uncrewed naval systems advance, capabilities to counter them are emerging
Research programmes and system procurement efforts to counter uncrewed surface and underwater vehicle threats are accelerating as naval drone uptake spreads.
-
![US Coast Guard to receive the first three Offshore Patrol Cutters in FY2026 and FY2027]()
US Coast Guard to receive the first three Offshore Patrol Cutters in FY2026 and FY2027
After recording a nearly six-year delay in the OPC schedule, the USCG intends to advance with the programme, reaching multiple milestones in the short term.
