By Sean Gough, Defence Writer, WA Defence Review and Serge DeSilva-Ranasinghe, Managing Editor, WA Defence Review
In late 2017, Regional Development Australia published a major study titled Security and Defence in Western Australia: An Economic Perspective, which included a number of policy proposals. One of the proposals was a comprehensive argument to introduce a variation of the successful Pacific Patrol Boat Program into the Indian Ocean region – an Indian Ocean Patrol Vessel Program. Over the past two years, the concept has gained in merit and momentum.
