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Defence has formally accepted the first of six planned Arafura Class offshore patrol vessel (OPV), NUSHIP Arafura, for further test and evaluation ahead of delivery to the Royal Australian Navy.
NUSHIP Arafura, the first Arafura Class OPV, has been officially delivered under Project SEA 1180. Built by Luerssen Australia at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia, this milestone marks a key achievement in the government’s ongoing commitment to enhancing Australia’s naval capability.
The Arafura Class OPV program will deliver six vessels to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), replacing the Armidale Class patrol boats and forming part of a broader Navy Minor War Vessel Fleet.
The Arafura Class OPVs will play a crucial role in civil maritime security, border protection and regional engagement, particularly in the Southwest Pacific and maritime Southeast Asia. These vessels are designed to operate in cooperation with the Australian Border Force, regional partners and allied navies, strengthening Australia’s presence and response capability in an increasingly complex Indo-Pacific security environment.
Deputy Secretary Naval Shipbuilding and Sustainment Jim McDowell highlighted the significance of the first Arafura Class OPV delivery in the broader context of Australia’s continuous naval shipbuilding agenda.
The first two OPVs are being built at Osborne, with the remaining four currently under construction at Henderson, Western Australia. The delivery of NUSHIP Arafura comes at a pivotal time following the release of the government’s 2024 National Defence Strategy and Integrated Investment Program.
Under these reforms, the Arafura Class will have their original role repurposed:
- The Arafura Class OPV program will be refocused to ensure operational flexibility, with adjustments to its mission systems and sustainment approach.
- The Minor War Vessel Fleet will be structured to provide greater scalability, ensuring the RAN can rapidly respond to grey zone threats, illegal maritime activities and humanitarian missions.
- A more agile sustainment model will be introduced, ensuring that vessels like the Arafura Class remain mission-ready while minimising maintenance downtime.
“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,” McDowell said.
Following delivery, NUSHIP Arafura will now sail to HMAS Stirling in Western Australia, where it will undergo final preparations before commissioning into the Royal Australian Navy fleet later this year.
This milestone represents a key step in modernising Australia’s maritime defence capabilities, ensuring that future patrol and border security operations are supported by more capable and sustainable platforms in alignment with the government’s reprioritised and refocused defence posture.
