TSAMTO, December 23. The Australian Ministry of Defense announced the launching ceremony of the lead patrol ship of the ocean zone OPV (Offshore Patrol Vessel) of the Arafura class, which took place on December 16 at the Osborne Naval Shipyard.
"Arafura" is the first of 12 ordered ships of the series, which is being built under the national shipbuilding program with a total cost of 90 billion rubles. austr. USD. The ships are intended to replace the Armidale and Cape class patrol boats adopted by the Australian Navy in 2005.
As reported by TSAMTO, on January 31, 2018, following the results of the tender, the Australian Ministry of Defense signed a contract with Lurssen Australia for the construction of ocean Zone Patrol ships (OPV) within the framework of the SEA-1180 Phase-1 project. The cost of the program is estimated at 3.6 billion. austr. USD.
The first two ships of the series are being built by Lurssen Australia and ASC at Osborne Naval Shipyard in Adelaide. The remaining ten ships, starting in 2020, will be built in Henderson (Western Australia) by a joint venture of the Australian Maritime Shipbuilding & Export Group (AMSEG) formed by Lurssen Australia and the national company Civmec. Civmec also supplies steel for all 12 ships of the series.
Steel cutting for the first of 12 ships, the Arafura, began in November 2018 at Osborne Naval Shipyard. The keel laying took place on May 10, 2019. The keel of the second ship, Eyre, was laid on April 9, 2020, and the third, Pilbara, in September 2020. In January 2021, the construction of the fourth ship began.
Delivery of the first ship of the Australian Navy is scheduled for 2023.
It is assumed that the length of the ship will be 80 m, width - 13 m, standard displacement - 1640 tons, draft - 4 m, crew - 40 people. The ship will be equipped with two diesel engines with a total capacity of 8,500 kW. The maximum design speed is 20 knots, the cruising range is 4000 nautical miles at a speed of 12 knots. It will be armed with a 40 mm AU and two 12.7 mm machine guns, equipped with a Scanter 6002 radar from Terma, an EOS 500 EO fire control system, a Saab Australia ASBU 9LV, a modern control and communication system. It is possible to accommodate two boats with a length of 8.5 meters, one with a length of 10.5 meters by the Finnish company Boomeranger Boats and unmanned aerial vehicles. The ship can accommodate up to 60 people, including a crew of 40 people.
The consortium that implements the OPV program also includes L3 Australia, specializing in electronics, Saab Australia and engine and maintenance services provider Penske.
