Defence Accepts First Arafura Class Offshore Patrol Vessel for Test and Evaluation

DEFENCE MEDIA RELEASE

Defence Accepts First Arafura Class Offshore Patrol Vessel for Test and Evaluation

Defence has accepted the first Arafura class Offshore Patrol Vessel, NUSHIP Arafura, for further test and evaluation ahead of its formal delivery to the Royal Australian Navy.

NUSHIP Arafura is the first of class vessel delivered under Project SEA 1180 and has been built by Luerssen Australia at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia. This project will deliver six Arafura class Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) to the Navy, enhancing Australia’s maritime security capabilities.

The first two OPVs have been constructed at Osborne, with the remaining four currently under construction at Henderson in Western Australia. The Arafura class vessels will form part of the Navy’s Minor War Vessel Fleet, supporting civil maritime security operations and strengthening regional engagement across the Southwest Pacific and maritime Southeast Asia.

Deputy Secretary Naval Shipbuilding and Sustainment, Mr Jim McDowell, highlighted the significance of this milestone in Australia’s naval shipbuilding program.

“The delivery of the first Arafura class Offshore Patrol Vessel to Defence is a major step forward in the Australian Government’s commitment to enhancing the Australian Defence Force’s capability through local shipbuilding,” Mr McDowell said.

“This milestone underscores Defence’s dedication to successfully managing complex projects to deliver critical capabilities, built right here in Australia.”

NUSHIP Arafura will now proceed to its homeport at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia, where it will undergo final preparations ahead of its commissioning into the Royal Australian Navy fleet later this year.