AUSTAL has launched Hull 544, the final Guardian-class Patrol Boat for Defence Australia’s Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement Project.
The launch of the 24th Guardian-class Patrol Boat marks the culmination of the $504.5 million project which began in May 2017 with the plate cutting on the first Guardian, HMPNGS Ted Diro.
Austal has delivered 22 vessels so far, to support maritime security across the Pacific.
The Guardian‑class fleet is part of Australia’s long‑running Pacific Maritime Security Program, supporting maritime surveillance, fisheries protection, and sovereignty operations across Pacific Island nations.
The vessels are modern replacements for the older Pacific‑class fleet.
Vessels are gifted to partner nations including Tuvalu, PNG, Tonga, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Palau, Kiribati, Vanuatu, FSM, Cook Islands, Timor‑Leste, and the Maldives.
Each vessel is 39.5 metres long with a speed of 20 knots and a 3000 nautical mile range at 12 knots.
They carry a crew of 23.
Austal recently delivered the 21st vessel, Te Mataili III, to the Australian government for gifting to Tuvalu after the previous vessel was lost during a cyclone..
Allen Newton
