Babcock Australasia has finished the maintenance for the Australian Navy’s Arafura-class offshore patrol vessel (OPV).
The company conducted a four-week intermediate maintenance availability for the NUSHIP Arafura (OPV 203), setting up the maintenance baseline for the ship.
About 4,000 hours of precision servicing and ancillary services were provided onboard, with the OPV’s rigid hull inflatable boats and rapid intercept craft also serviced during the process.
The OPV 203’s upkeep is part of the Maritime Sustainment Model, an initiative standardizing the Royal Australian Navy (RAN)’s fleet maintenance while strengthening the country’s industry and sovereign sustainment.
Australia currently has six Arafura-class OPVs under sea trials. All units will be handed over to the RAN later this year.
The Arafura-Class OPV
Developed under the SEA 1180 Project, the Arafura-class OPVs are replacing the fleet’s Armidale-class patrol boats, which have been in service since 2005.
Australia plans to make the ships its premier maritime border patrol capabilities, conducting constabulary operations, fisheries enforcement, and humanitarian and disaster relief in its coastal regions.
The OPVs are powered by two 4,250-kilowatt diesel engines and can reach speeds of 23 miles (37 kilometer) per hour with a range of 4,600 miles (7,400 kilometers).
The RAN launched a waterfront training center in Western Australia last year to upskill its Arafura-class operators.
