Navy Daily reports that the Deputy Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral Mark Hammond, joined staff from Navy’s Construction Branch in Adelaide during the week (Nov 2018) to mark the start of construction of the first of 12 new Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV).
RADM Hammond attended the Osborne Naval Shipyard to see the welding of the first two component blocks which will form part of the first vessel off the production line.
The event included the announcement that Navy’s new Offshore Patrol Vessels will be known as the Arafura Class, with the first vessel to be commissioned HMAS Arafura when she enters service in 2022.
RADM Hammond said calling the vessels Arafura Class reflected the significance of Navy’s lasting operations to protect Australia’s interests in the Arafura Sea between Cape York and Cape Don.
“This name encapsulates the significant role our maritime regions have in the nation’s security and economic prosperity, importantly the littoral regions around the Australian continent,” he said.
“This is a much more capable class of ship with greater range, endurance, improved accommodation for the crew staying at sea longer and in every respect it will outperform older patrol boats.”
“The Arafura Class crews will be tight knit, executing very important missions that will ultimately lead to a great sense of camaraderie and achievement in doing something that’s worthwhile.”
The Arafura Class is a custom Australian variant of German shipbuilder Lürssen’s PV80 design and is 80 metres in length with a displacement of around 1,700 tonnes and a draught of 4 metres.
The Arafura Class will replace the Armidale Class and Cape Class patrol boats, Huon Class coastal minehunters and Leeuwin Class survey ships and will primarily be used for constabulary missions, maritime patrol and response duties.
The design includes two changeable, containerised mission systems, supporting secondary roles such as mine hunting, unmanned aerial system missions, and hydrographic surveying.
The first two Arafura Class vessels will be built at Osborne with the following ten to be built at Henderson in Western Australia.
Six of the vessels will be based at HMAS Coonawarra in Darwin, four at HMAS Cairns in north Queensland and two at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia.
Minister Pyne said that the OPVs would have an important role protecting our borders and will provide greater range and endurance than the existing patrol boat fleet.
“The OPV project is expected to create up to 1000 direct and indirect jobs,” said Minister Pyne.
The first two vessels will be built at Osborne before Civmec starts constructing the next 10 at Henderson in Western Australia.
Minister Pyne said ASC Shipbuilding will use its expertise gained through the Air Warfare Destroyer program to build the first two OPVs.
“These new vessels are being built in Australian facilities, with Australian steel, and by Australian workers.”
“Only a year ago we announced Lürssen was the preferred tenderer.”
“It’s a fantastic achievement to start construction on time and on budget and I’d like to thank everyone involved in the project.”
The Government’s $90 billion dollar continuous naval shipbuilding program is the largest and most ambitious capital investment ever undertaken in Australia.
“This investment is about more than building ships, submarines and shipyards because it will establish an Australian sovereign capability.”
“The continuous shipbuilding program will act as a catalyst for industry growth which will secure thousands of Australian jobs for decades.”
“This is truly a national endeavour, with the Federal Government laying the foundations for an Australia-wide sovereign naval shipbuilding enterprise.”
The OPVs will be built using Australian steel, creating Australian jobs. The steel used today in construction is from the same batch cut by the Prime Minister in Henderson just a few weeks ago, demonstrating the Government’s commitment to the naval shipbuilding program and Australian jobs.
“Our commitment ends the boom-bust cycle which has afflicted the Australian naval shipbuilding and sustainment industry in the past.”
The Minister for Finance and the Public Service, Mathias Cormann said that ASC’s shipbuilding capacity has continued to grow from strength to strength since the Government initiated the Air Warfare Destroyer reform program in 2014.
“Over the past few years ASC has demonstrated its capacity to deliver high quality vessels for the Royal Australian Navy.
“ASC’s workforce has already delivered two state-of-the-art Air Warfare Destroyers, with a third due next year. They are also exceeding their performance benchmarks in support of our Collins Class submarine fleet.”
“We look forward to ASC continuing their strong work on the first two Offshore Patrol Vessels that begin construction today.”
The Royal Australian Navy’s Offshore Patrol Vessels will be named the Arafura class, with the first ship entering service in 2022 being named HMAS Arafura.
Minister for Defence, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP, welcomed the announcement of the name Arafura, reflecting the strong connection between the Navy and the maritime waters it patrols.
“Assigning a name to a warship is a significant milestone in the introduction of a new capability,” Minister Pyne said.
“This is the first time the Australian Navy has used the name Arafura and represents a new generation of naval operations.”
The naming of ships and units is one of the greatest honours any navy bestows.
“A vessel’s service to our nation and the deeds of its ship’s company throughout its life are recorded and remembered by the name under which it commissions,” Minister Pyne said.
“Named for the Arafura Sea, the name recognises the prominence of Navy’s enduring operations in the northern approaches to Australia to protect our national interests, natural resources and maritime borders.
“The name Arafura will imbue all Navy members who sail in the OPVs with a sense of pride for the waters and country they protect.
“The Arafura Sea stretches from Cape York in the east to Cape Don in the west and encapsulates the importance of the seas surrounding the Australian continent and our connections with our immediate neighbours, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.
“The name honours the significance of the nation’s connection to the sea and those Australian waters in which our nation’s maritime security and economic prosperity depend. It reflects Navy’s continuing work across the Top End.”
