Australian Department of Defence press release
Defence has accepted the first Arafura class Offshore Patrol Vessel, NUSHIP Arafura, for further test and evaluation ahead of delivery to the Royal Australian Navy.
NUSHIP Arafura is the first of class vessel delivered under project SEA 1180, built by Luerssen Australia at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia.
This project will deliver six Arafura class Offshore Patrol Vessels to Navy, with the first two constructed at Osborne. The remaining four vessels are under construction at Henderson in Western Australia. The Arafura class vessels will be part of a wider Navy Minor War Vessel Fleet supporting civil maritime security and enhanced regional engagement in the Southwest Pacific and maritime Southeast Asia.
Deputy Secretary Naval Shipbuilding and Sustainment Jim McDowell said the delivery of the first Arafura class Offshore Patrol Vessel was an important milestone in the Australian Government’s investment in Naval Shipbuilding and Sustainment.
“The delivery of the first of class vessel to Defence highlights Defence’s commitment to working through complex projects to deliver critical capability to our Australian Defence Force, built here in Australia,” Mr McDowell said.
NUSHIP Arafura will now sail to its homeport at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia, before commissioning into the Royal Australian Navy fleet later this year.
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Naval News Comment:
When Arafura was launched in December 2021 at the Osborne Naval Shipyard, it was intended to be the first of 12 ships armed with 40mm main guns. They were destined to replace the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) fleet of smaller Armidale and Cape class patrol boats in their entirety. Instead, as NUSHIP Arafura finally approaches entry into service, it is armed with a 25mm cannon and is one of only six vessels.
Those six ships, rather than making up the RAN’s patrol force, will instead constitute less than half of the Navy’s patrol force going forward. In their place, Austal-built Evolved Cape class patrol boats, which were originally set to provide only an interim capability between the Armidale and Arafura classes, have been commissioned into the RAN and ordered by the Australian Border Force.
Delays in the program has disappointed the RAN and Defence, who have been forced to once-again assign frigates to border patrol work, and industry alike. Indeed, the company’s experience with the Arafura class program appears to have so soured Luerssen Australia that its parent company, NVL Group, has announced plans to divest from the country. In October 2024, via the Australian Securities Exchange, Civmec announced a deal with NVL Group which will see the latter’s stake in Luerssen Australia sold to Civmec pending Australian Government approval.
What caused the program, which appeared simple in nature, to experience such delays and issues is the subject of intense debate in Australia. While the exact causes of the problems may never be known, the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) has derived lessons learned from the process that bode poorly for Australia’s Sea 3000 project:
“Inadequate timeframe to conduct procurement can diminish the opportunity for due diligence during tender evaluations. Providing sufficient time for due diligence is crucial to ensure the integrity and effectiveness of the procurement process,” the ANAO concluded in its annual report on Defence procurement.
“The use of reference ship designs from other navies provided reassurance in the procurement process but it remains crucial to thoroughly understand the intended capabilities and requirements, and ensure alignment with project objectives,” it further stated.
