The Royal Australian Navy has taken delivery of the third of overall eight new Evolved Cape-class patrol boats from Austal Australia.
The vessel, ADV Cape Naturaliste, was officially accepted by the Commonwealth of Australia and is the second of its class to be homeported at Cairns, with ADV Cape Otway arriving at the base in June.
Cape Peron Commanding Officer Lieutenant Commander Jonathan Webb said his ship’s company was happy to have arrived at their home port and were ready for operational tasking.
“The entire crew has worked hard to get to this point and we’re all eager to put our extensive training into action,” Lieutenant Commander Webb said.
“Austal has now delivered three Evolved Capes to the Royal Australian Navy since the contract was signed in May 2020. Our productivity has improved with each new vessel, to the point where Austal is launching a new Evolved Cape after just 12 months construction,” Austal Limited CEO Paddy Gregg said.
“The fourth vessel, the future ADV Cape Capricorn, is alongside now and we have four more Evolved Capes at various stages of production, here in Henderson.
“With the continued support of our trusted supply chain partners, the Austal shipbuilding team is well on track to deliver all eight Evolved Cape-class Patrol Boats to the Navy by mid-2024, on schedule.”
The 58-meter aluminium monohull patrol boat is the third of eight to be delivered to the Royal Australian Navy. The first two vessels, ADV Cape Otway and ADV Cape Peron were delivered in March and August 2022, respectively.
The Evolved Capes feature new, larger amenities to accommodate up to 32 people, improved quality of life systems and advanced sustainment intelligence systems that further enhance the Royal Australian Navy’s ability to fight and win at sea.
Along with Navy’s Armidale-class patrol boats, the vessels represent a primary enabler of the ADF’s contribution to the Government’s border security operations.
