Australian Patrol Boat Group
Encyclopedia
The Australian Patrol Boat Group is a Force Element Group
(FEG) of the Royal Australian Navy
. The group's mission is to provide patrol boat capability for the protection of Australia's national interests.
The Patrol Boat Group operates fourteen Armidale class patrol boats
. The Group's headquarters are located at HMAS Coonawarra
in the city of Darwin
, additional support is provided by the class logistics office at HMAS Cairns
.
to serve in the Royal Australian Navy; the Attack class
from 1967 to 1994, the Fremantle class
from 1980 to 2007, and the Armidale class
, which entered service in 2005.
Force Element Group
The Force Element Groups of the Australian Defence Force are the operational capabilities.Each of the component commands has a set of FEGs. The FEG operational commanders report to the component commanders , who in turn report to the operation's Task Force commander...
(FEG) of the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
. The group's mission is to provide patrol boat capability for the protection of Australia's national interests.
The Patrol Boat Group operates fourteen Armidale class patrol boats
Armidale class patrol boat
The Armidale class is a class of patrol boats built for the Royal Australian Navy . Planning for a class of twelve vessels to replace the fifteen Fremantle class patrol boats began in 1993 as a joint project with the Royal Malaysian Navy, but was cancelled when Malaysia pulled out of the process...
. The Group's headquarters are located at HMAS Coonawarra
HMAS Coonawarra
HMAS Coonawarra is a Royal Australian Navy base located in the city of Darwin and is home to twelve fleet units of the Royal Australian Navy.-History:...
in the city of Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
, additional support is provided by the class logistics office at HMAS Cairns
HMAS Cairns (naval base)
HMAS Cairns is a naval base of the Royal Australian Navy located in Cairns, Queensland. Although used regularly as a port-of-call since before World War II, a permanent RAN presence was not established until 1971, when a maintenance and support base for patrol boats was set up...
.
History
There have been three classes of patrol boatPatrol boat
A patrol boat is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defense duties.There have been many designs for patrol boats. They may be operated by a nation's navy, coast guard, or police force, and may be intended for marine and/or estuarine or river environments...
to serve in the Royal Australian Navy; the Attack class
Attack class patrol boat
The Attack class patrol boats were small coastal defence vessels built for the Royal Australian Navy and operated between 1967 and 1985...
from 1967 to 1994, the Fremantle class
Fremantle class patrol boat
The Fremantle-class patrol boats were coastal patrol vessels operated by the Royal Australian Navy from 1979 to 2007. Designed by British shipbuilder Brooke Marine and constructed in Australia by North Queensland Engineers and Agents, the Fremantle class were larger, more powerful, and more...
from 1980 to 2007, and the Armidale class
Armidale class patrol boat
The Armidale class is a class of patrol boats built for the Royal Australian Navy . Planning for a class of twelve vessels to replace the fifteen Fremantle class patrol boats began in 1993 as a joint project with the Royal Malaysian Navy, but was cancelled when Malaysia pulled out of the process...
, which entered service in 2005.
Organisation
With the introduction of the Armidale class, the Australian Patrol Boat Group was reorganised into four divisions, named after Attack class ships:- 1st/Attack Division (HMAS CoonawarraHMAS CoonawarraHMAS Coonawarra is a Royal Australian Navy base located in the city of Darwin and is home to twelve fleet units of the Royal Australian Navy.-History:...
, DarwinDarwin, Northern TerritoryDarwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
)- HMAS ArmidaleHMAS Armidale (ACPB 83)HMAS Armidale , named for the city of Armidale, New South Wales, is the lead ship of the Armidale class of patrol boats serving in the Royal Australian Navy .-Design and construction:...
- HMAS LarrakiaHMAS Larrakia (ACPB 84)HMAS Larrakia is an Armidale class patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy .-Design and construction:The Armidale class patrol boats are long, with a beam of , a maximum draft of , and a displacement of 270 tons...
- HMAS BathurstHMAS Bathurst (ACPB 85)HMAS Bathurst , named for the city of Bathurst, New South Wales, is an Armidale class patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy .-Design and construction:...
- HMAS AlbanyHMAS Albany (ACPB 86)HMAS Albany , named for the city of Albany, Western Australia, is an Armidale class patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy .-Design and construction:...
- Six Armidale Class patrol boat crews (Attack 1-6)
- HMAS Armidale
- 2nd/Assail Division (HMAS Coonawarra)
- HMAS PirieHMAS Pirie (ACPB 87)HMAS Pirie , named for the city of Port Pirie, South Australia, is an Armidale class patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy .-Design and construction:...
- HMAS MaitlandHMAS Maitland (ACPB 88)HMAS Maitland , named for the city of Maitland, New South Wales, is an Armidale class patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy .-Design and construction:...
- HMAS AraratHMAS Ararat (ACPB 89)HMAS Ararat , named for the town of Ararat, Victoria, is an Armidale class patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy .-Design and construction:...
- HMAS BroomeHMAS Broome (ACPB 90)HMAS Broome , named for the city of Broome, Western Australia, is an Armidale class patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy .-Design and construction:...
- Six Armidale Class patrol boat crews (Assail 1-6)
- HMAS Pirie
- 3rd/Ardent Division (HMAS CairnsHMAS Cairns (naval base)HMAS Cairns is a naval base of the Royal Australian Navy located in Cairns, Queensland. Although used regularly as a port-of-call since before World War II, a permanent RAN presence was not established until 1971, when a maintenance and support base for patrol boats was set up...
, Cairns)- HMAS BundabergHMAS Bundaberg (ACPB 91)HMAS Bundaberg , named for the city of Bundaberg, Queensland, is an Armidale class patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy .-Design and construction:...
- HMAS WollongongHMAS Wollongong (ACPB 92)HMAS Wollongong , named for the city of Wollongong, New South Wales, is an Armidale class patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy .-Design and construction:...
- HMAS ChildersHMAS Childers (ACPB 93)HMAS Childers is an Armidale class patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy . Named for the towns of Childers, Queensland and Childers, Victoria, Childers is the only ship in the RAN to be named after two towns....
- HMAS LauncestonHMAS Launceston (ACPB 94)HMAS Launceston is an Armidale class patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy .-Design and construction:The Armidale class patrol boats are long, with a beam of , a maximum draft of , and a displacement of 270 tons...
- Six Armidale Class patrol boat crews (Ardent 1-6)
- HMAS Bundaberg
- 4th/Aware Division (Dampier, Western AustraliaDampier, Western AustraliaDampier is a major industrial port in the north-west of Western Australia. The Dampier Port is part of the Dampier Archipelago. The port services petrochemical, salt, iron ore and natural gas export industries. Rio Tinto exports large volumes of iron ore through the port, and in September 2010...
)- HMAS MaryboroughHMAS Maryborough (ACPB 95)HMAS Maryborough , named after the city of Maryborough, Queensland, is one of fourteen Armidale class patrol boats operated by the Royal Australian Navy .-Design and construction:...
- HMAS GlenelgHMAS Glenelg (ACPB 96)HMAS Glenelg , named for the city of Glenelg, South Australia is an Australian Armidale class patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy .-Design and construction:...
- Three Armidale Class patrol boat crews (Aware 1-3) (based in Darwin)
- HMAS Maryborough
See also
- Fremantle class patrol boatFremantle class patrol boatThe Fremantle-class patrol boats were coastal patrol vessels operated by the Royal Australian Navy from 1979 to 2007. Designed by British shipbuilder Brooke Marine and constructed in Australia by North Queensland Engineers and Agents, the Fremantle class were larger, more powerful, and more...
- Armidale class patrol boatArmidale class patrol boatThe Armidale class is a class of patrol boats built for the Royal Australian Navy . Planning for a class of twelve vessels to replace the fifteen Fremantle class patrol boats began in 1993 as a joint project with the Royal Malaysian Navy, but was cancelled when Malaysia pulled out of the process...
- Royal Australian NavyRoyal Australian NavyThe Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...