Austal names first Cape Class patrol boat
Global manufacturer of high performance aluminium vessels, Austal, has named the first of eight new boats being built for the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service.
The Cape St George is part of a design, construct and in-service support contract which is valued at around AUS$330m.
The vessel, which was launched at Austal’s Henderson shipyard in January 2013, recently underwent final fit out and sea trials. Other testing will be completed prior to final delivery to the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service.
The naming ceremony was attended by the Australian Special Minister for State, the Honorary Gary Gray AO and former president of the Australian Senate, Margaret Reid AO, who officially named the vessel.
Andrew Bellamy, CEO, Austal, said: “The official naming ceremony is an occasion that allows us to celebrate the first of eight state-of-the-art, highly sophisticated CapeClass vessels that we are designing and constructing using our hallmark aluminium design.”
Austal is also developing and installing electronic systems for command, control and communication and will perform ongoing in-service support for the Cape Class fleet over at least eight years. This will include intermediate and depot level maintenance activities, valued at a minimum of AUS$50m.
All eight patrol boats are expected to be delivered by August 2015.
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