Pacific class patrol boat
Encyclopedia
The Pacific class (also known as the Pacific Forum class and the ASI 315 class) is a class of 22 patrol boat
Patrol 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...
s built by Australia and donated to twelve South Pacific
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
countries. Constructed from 1985 to 1997 and operated by militaries, coast guards or police forces of the twelve island nations, these boats are supported by the Pacific Patrol Boat Program. They are used primarily for maritime surveillance and fisheries protection.
Design and construction
Following the introduction of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the SeaUnited Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea , also called the Law of the Sea Convention or the Law of the Sea treaty, is the international agreement that resulted from the third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea , which took place from 1973 through 1982...
in 1982, which introduced a 200 nautical miles (370.4 km) Exclusive Economic Zone
Exclusive Economic Zone
Under the law of the sea, an exclusive economic zone is a seazone over which a state has special rights over the exploration and use of marine resources, including production of energy from water and wind. It stretches from the seaward edge of the state's territorial sea out to 200 nautical...
(EEZ) to the territories of all nations with an ocean coastline, several Southwest Pacific
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
island nations found themselves responsible for policing an area of ocean that was beyond their maritime capability, and often significantly larger than their land territories (at its most extreme, the EEZ of Tuvalu
Tuvalu
Tuvalu , formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia. Its nearest neighbours are Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa and Fiji. It comprises four reef islands and five true atolls...
dwarfs its landmass by a ratio of almost 1:28,000). Following requests by several Pacific nations for assistance from the governments of Australia and New Zealand, the Australian government created a Defence Cooperation Project, the Pacific Patrol Boat Program to design and provide suitable patrol boats to nearby island nations, along with training and infrastructure to support these ships. The Program was officially announced by Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke
Bob Hawke
Robert James Lee "Bob" Hawke AC GCL was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia from March 1983 to December 1991 and therefore longest serving Australian Labor Party Prime Minister....
during the South Pacific Forum
Pacific Islands Forum
The Pacific Islands Forum is an inter-governmental organization that aims to enhance cooperation between the independent countries of the Pacific Ocean. It was founded in 1971 as the South Pacific Forum...
meeting held in Canberra on 29 and 30 August 1983.
Each patrol boat has a length of 31.5 metres (103.3 ft), a beam of 8.1 metres (26.6 ft), a draught of 1.8 metres (5.9 ft), and a full load displacement of 162 tonnes. They are fitted with two Caterpillar 3516TA diesel engines, which provide 2,820 horsepower to two propeller shafts, driving the vessel at a maximum of 20 knots (10.9 m/s). Pacific class vessels have a maximum range of 2500 nautical miles (4,630 km) at 12 knots (6.5 m/s), and can remain at sea for up to ten days. Armament varies depending on the operating nation; the patrol boats may carry GAM-BO1 20 mm guns, 7.62 mm machine guns, or 12.7 mm machine guns, and these may not be permanently fitted. Each ship carries a Furuno 1011 surface search radar, which operates in the I band
I band
The I band is the range of radio frequencies from 8 GHz to 10 GHz in the electromagnetic spectrum. This is equal to wave lengths between 3.75 cm and 3 cm. The I band is in the SHF range of the radio spectrum....
. The ship's company varies between 14 and 18, depending on the operating nation. In order to reduce construction and maintenance costs, the vessels were built to commercial, as opposed to military, standards, and with the need for companies in the operating nations to be capable of providing parts and minor maintenance in mind.
There were initial problems with the propellors, engine cooling systems, and air conditioning, but these were fixed before the completion of the third ship of the class. The class underwent refits during each ship's seventh or eighth year of operation, and again at the fifteenth year (which is ongoing until 2012). This has extended the predicted service life of the class to 2027.
Derivatives
Several variant designs for the Pacific class have been produced by Australian Shipbuilding Industries (later Transfield ASI, then Tenix), for a variety of operators.Four patrol boats of a slightly shortened 31 metres (101.7 ft) design were produced for the Kuwait Coast Guard
Military of Kuwait
Under the constitution of Kuwait, the Emir of Kuwait is the supreme commander of the armed forces with a Minister of Defence who directs the Military of Kuwait through the Chief of the General Staff. The National Guard has its own commander, who reports directly to the minister of defence. Public...
. An unarmed version of this design is also offered to the operators of oil platforms as crew transport.
Six modified versions of the Pacific class were built for the Hong Kong Marine Police
Hong Kong Marine Police
The Marine Region is a branch of the Hong Kong Police Force, more widely known as the Marine Police. The marine police patrol of waters within the territory of Hong Kong, including 263 islands. The Marine Region with about 3,000 officers, and a fleet of 142 in total, made up of 70 launches and 72...
as the Protector class
Protector (Pacific Forum) class small patrol boat
Protector class small patrol boats are vessels built and used by the Hong Kong Police for marine patrols off Hong Kong. They are based on the Pacific class patrol boat built in Australia for several Pacific island nations...
. The main difference is the installation of a pump-jet
Pump-jet
A pump-jet, hydrojet, or water jet, is a marine system that creates a jet of water for propulsion. The mechanical arrangement may be a ducted propeller with nozzle, or a centrifugal pump and nozzle...
engine to supplement the main propulsion.
Seahorse Mercator
Seahose Mercator is a navigational training vessel operated by Defence Maritime Services under contract to the Royal Australian Navy . She is a modified version of the Pacific class patrol boat design and is based at HMAS Waterhen at Sydney. Seahorse Mercator is fitted with an extensive suite of...
, was built for Defence Maritime Services
Defence Maritime Services
DMS Maritime, formerly Defence Maritime Services, is an Australian company providing port services to the Australian Defence Force and Australian Customs Service National Marine Unit. DMS was founded in 1997 and currently operates 8 ocean going vessels and over 100 harbour craft and has around 350...
in 1999 which operates the ship under contract to the Royal Australian Navy. Although the hull design is the same, the interior and superstructure are significantly modified. The Seahorse Mercator design was used as the basis for the Canadian Forces Maritime Command
Canadian Forces Maritime Command
The Royal Canadian Navy , is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the unified Canadian Forces. Operating 33 warships and several auxiliary vessels, the Royal Canadian Navy consists of 8,500 Regular Force and 5,100 Primary Reserve sailors, supported by...
's eight Orca class patrol vessels, although Canadian engineers modified the Orcas to the point where they only share the basic hull shape with the Australian ship.
A 35 metres (114.8 ft), all-aluminium design based on the Pacific class hull was created for the Philippine Coast Guard
Philippine Coast Guard
The Philippine Coast Guard is a maritime law enforcement agency operating under the Department of Transportation and Communications of the Philippines....
. Four of these ships were delivered in December 2001, and are used as search and rescue vessels. An option for a follow on order by the Philippines of ten more ships is yet to be used.
Role and benefits
The Pacific class patrol boats are used primarily for maritime surveillance and fisheries protection. They are often the only surveillance capability the operating nation has access to, and their presence has often deterred foreign fishing fleets. The ability to patrol the waters has provided boosts to economies through both fishing fines and improved negotiation stances when discussing foreign fishing rights and fees. As part of the patrol role, the Pacifics have been used for customs inspection of ships, and have stopped some smuggling and drug-running operations. Some nations charter the vessels out to other government agencies or private companies for salvage work, hydrographic surveying, or even tasks like helping to establish aquacultureAquaculture
Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the...
farms. Pacific class patrol boats have also seen use in humanitarian roles such as search-and-rescue, towing of disabled vessels, sea safety checks on vessels, and inter-island transport, particularly for disaster relief operations.
The patrol boats also provide indirect benefits to the operating nations. Operation of the Pacifics has often required the expansion of maritime facilities, providing jobs and facilitating access for other ships. In addition to the economic boost from fishing fees and fines, improved hydrographic charts created by the ships contributes to boosting tourism. The ships are seen as miniature warships, and are a point of pride and prestige for the island nations. Crew training by the Australian Maritime College
Australian Maritime College
The Australian Maritime College is a tertiary education institution based in Launceston, Tasmania and is an institute of the University of Tasmania. AMC is Australia's national centre for maritime education, training and research...
(AMC) has increased the number of trained seafarers in the operating nations, improving the skill level of each nation's maritime sector.
The Pacific Patrol Boat Program has also provided benefits to Australia and New Zealand. They nations enjoy an improved strategic presence in the region, and the naval advisors supplied to operating nations create personal networks within those nations, while improving the skill set and knowledge of the Pacific class operators. These advisors regularly interact with officials from agencies outside the normal scope of diplomats, and can obtain political and strategic information inaccessible through other avenues. The naval advisors also allow the military-operated vessels to maintain links to larger naval forces. The ability for the operating nations to provide their own humanitarian support likewise reduces the need for Australian and New Zealand assets to become involved in relatively small-scale incidents.
Support and infrastructure
Australian Shipbuilding Industries (later Tenix) provides support facilities for the class in BrisbaneBrisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Australia, and Suva
Suva
Suva features a tropical rainforest climate under the Koppen climate classification. The city sees a copious amount of precipitation during the course of the year. Suva averages 3,000 mm of precipitation annually with its driest month, July averaging 125 mm of rain per year. In fact,...
, Fiji.
Crew training for the Pacific class patrol boats is offered by the Australian Department of Defence and the Australian Maritime College
Australian Maritime College
The Australian Maritime College is a tertiary education institution based in Launceston, Tasmania and is an institute of the University of Tasmania. AMC is Australia's national centre for maritime education, training and research...
(AMC). The AMC runs an average of 32 classes per year in support of the Pacific Patrol Boat Program. The AMC does not possess a Pacific class patrol boat to use as a training vessel; instead, the 13 metres (42.7 ft) TV Pinduro is fitted with identical electronic equipment.
The cost of the project to Australia as of 1998 has been A$249 million. Each recipient country has funded most operating costs, with the United States contributing to the costs of
Palau
Palau
Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau chose independence instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a...
, the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
, and the Federated States of Micronesia
Federated States of Micronesia
The Federated States of Micronesia or FSM is an independent, sovereign island nation, made up of four states from west to east: Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae. It comprises approximately 607 islands with c...
through the Compact of Free Association
Compact of Free Association
The Compact of Free Association defines the relationship that three sovereign states—the Federated States of Micronesia , the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau—have entered into as associated states with the United States.Now sovereign nations, the three freely associated...
.
Operators
Twelve nations operate Pacific class patrol boats, as part of their military, coast guard, or police force: (4 ships), (3), (3), (3), (2), (1), (1), (1), (1), (1), (1), (1)Ships
- Sourced from
| Boat no. | Name | Country | Handover Date | Organisation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HMPNGS Tarangau (P01) | Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands... |
May 1987 | Defence Force |
| 2 | RVS Tukoro | Vanuatu Vanuatu Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was... |
June 1987 | Police |
| 3 | HMPNGS Dreger (P02) | Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands... |
October 1987 | Defence Force |
| 4 | Nafanua | Samoa Samoa Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in... |
March 1988 | Police |
| 5 | Lata (03) | Solomon Islands Solomon Islands Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal... |
July 1988 | Police |
| 6 | HMPNGS Seeadler (P03) | Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands... |
October 1988 | Defence Force |
| 7 | Te Kukupa | Cook Islands Cook Islands The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand... |
March 1989 | Police |
| 8 | HMPNGS Basilisk (P04) | Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands... |
July 1989 | Defence Force |
| 9 | VOEA Neiafu (P201) | Tonga Tonga Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific... |
October 1989 | Defence Services Tonga Defence Services The Tonga Defense Services is the armed force of Tonga. It is composed of three operational command components, two support elements .... |
| 10 | FSS Palikir (01) | Federated States of Micronesia Federated States of Micronesia The Federated States of Micronesia or FSM is an independent, sovereign island nation, made up of four states from west to east: Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae. It comprises approximately 607 islands with c... |
March 1990 | Police |
| 11 | VOEA Pangai (P202) | Tonga Tonga Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific... |
June 1990 | Defence Services |
| 12 | FSS Micronesia (02) | Federated States of Micronesia Federated States of Micronesia The Federated States of Micronesia or FSM is an independent, sovereign island nation, made up of four states from west to east: Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae. It comprises approximately 607 islands with c... |
November 1990 | Police |
| 13 | VOEA Savea (P203) | Tonga Tonga Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific... |
March 1991 | Defence Services |
| 14 | RMIS Lomor (03) | Marshall Islands Marshall Islands The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182... |
June 1991 | Sea Patrol |
| 15 | Auki (04) | Solomon Islands Solomon Islands Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal... |
November 1991 | Police |
| 16 | RKS Teanoai (301) | Kiribati Kiribati Kiribati , officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island nation located in the central tropical Pacific Ocean. The permanent population exceeds just over 100,000 , and is composed of 32 atolls and one raised coral island, dispersed over 3.5 million square kilometres, straddling the... |
January 1994 | Police |
| 17 | RFNS Kula (201) | Fiji Fiji Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island... |
May 1994 | Navy Military of Fiji The Republic of Fiji Military Forces are the military of the Pacific island nation of Fiji. With a total manpower of 3,500 active soldiers and 6,000 reservists, it is one of the smallest militaries in the world. However, most of its surrounding island nations have no militaries at all... |
| 18 | Te Mataili | Tuvalu Tuvalu Tuvalu , formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia. Its nearest neighbours are Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa and Fiji. It comprises four reef islands and five true atolls... |
October 1994 | Police |
| 19 | RFNS Kikau (202) | Fiji Fiji Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island... |
May 1995 | Navy |
| 20 | RFNS Kiro (203) | Fiji Fiji Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island... |
October 1995 | Navy |
| 21 | PSS President H.I. Remeliik (001) | Palau Palau Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau chose independence instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a... |
May 1996 | Police |
| 22 | FSS Independence (03) | Federated States of Micronesia Federated States of Micronesia The Federated States of Micronesia or FSM is an independent, sovereign island nation, made up of four states from west to east: Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae. It comprises approximately 607 islands with c... |
May 1997 | Police |
Future replacement
It is predicted that as the Pacifics approach the end of their service life, the operating nations may again approach Australia to assist in providing replacement ships. Patrol boats built to a similar design to the RAN's Armidale classArmidale 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...
or RNZN's Protector class are considered to be appropriate, and would help support the Australian shipbuilding industry. However, acquiring these more advanced ships may be financially restrictive for some of the smaller nations.
A 2008 report recommended that the Australian Defence Force not pursue a replacement program, due to the rising costs of operating and fueling the ships (over double the expected annual cost of A$12 million two years in a row), poor operating rates (averaging 36 days at sea per ship per year) linked to the operating nations' difficulties in crewing and maintaining the ships, and a lack of support from the other nations with interests in the Pacific.