According to a press release published by Austal Limited (Austal) on October 22, 2021, the company is pleased to announce Austal Australia has delivered the 13th Guardian-class Patrol Boat (GCPB), NUSHIP Francis Agwi, to the Australian Department of Defence.
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13th Guardian-class Patrol Boat NUSHIP Francis Agwi (Picture source: Austal)
The vessel, NUSHIP Francis Agwi, was then gifted by the Australian Government to the Papua New Guinea Defence Force at a certificate signing ceremony held at Austal’s shipyard in Henderson, Western Australia.
The ceremony was attended in person by RADM Wendy Malcolm CSM, Head of Maritime Systems, Department of Defence Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG); Air Commodore Fiona Dowse, Senior ADF Officer WA and Captain Gary Lawton, Commanding Officer HMAS Stirling, with Papua New Guinea being represented by the Commanding Officer of NUSHIP Francis Agwi, Lieutenant Elizah Lourie.
With border restrictions currently in place that prevented guests from interstate attending, pre-recorded congratulatory messages were presented from both the Minister for Defence, The Hon Peter Dutton MP and His Excellency Mr John Kali, Papua New Guinea High Commissioner to Australia.
The vessel is the third of four Guardian-class Patrol Boats to be delivered to Papua New Guinea under the Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement Project (SEA3036-1), part of the Australian Government’s Pacific Maritime Security Program.
Austal Limited Chief Executive Officer Paddy Gregg said the new vessel was the fifth Guardian-class Patrol Boat delivered by Austal Australia in 2021 and maintains a successful track record of on-time and on-budget deliveries for the Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement Project.
The Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement Project was awarded to Austal Australia in May 2016, with an additional contract option awarded in April 2018, taking the program to 21 vessels, valued at more than A$335 million.
Twelve Pacific Island nations including Papua New Guinea, Fiji, the Federated States of Micronesia, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Palau, Samoa, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Timor-Leste will receive the vessels through to 2023.
