Fourth Evolved Cape-class patrol boat reaches Australia’s navy
ADV Cape Capricorn is the Royal Australian Navy’s fourth Evolved Cape-class patrol boat. (Photo: Austal)
Austal Australia announced on 13 February that it had handed over the fourth 57.8m-long Evolved Cape-class patrol boat to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
Built at Austal’s Western Australian shipyard in Henderson, the aluminium-hulled vessel has been christened ADV Cape Capricorn (pennant number 317).
Paddy Gregg, Austal’s CEO, said: ‘Austal has now delivered four Evolved Capes to the RAN since the contract was signed in May 2020, and we are launching a new vessel every three months, after around 12 months’ construction.’
This Project Sea 1445 Phase 1 shipbuilding programme will see eight boats delivered by mid-2024. Austal Australia
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Naval Warfare
-
Italy’s U212 Near Future Submarine production builds pace as upgrade plans mature
Andrea Simone Pinna, OCCAR-EA combat system officer for the U212 NFS programme, outlined production progress, new capabilities and plans for the Italian Navy’s next-generation conventional submarine.
-
Hormuz mines reopen the MCM capability question
The US-led mine clearance mission in the Strait of Hormuz is a reminder of the long-overdue reckoning among Western navies. With ageing fleets and uncrewed systems still maturing, the gap between rhetoric and investment is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
-
Australia’s revised defence investment plan: what it means for naval warfare
The 2026 Integrated Investment Program allocates up to A$130 billion for undersea warfare, committing the Royal Australian Navy to nuclear-powered submarines, autonomous platforms and an expanded surface combatant fleet over the next decade.