Armidale class patrol boat

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Australia
HMAS Armidale
Builders:	Austal Ships, Henderson, Western Australia
Operators:	Royal Australian Navy
Preceding class:	Fremantle class
Following class:	N/A
Commissioned:	June 2005
Ships in Class
Ships in class:	14
Ships in active service:	7
Ships building:	7 (including ships ordered)
General Characteristics
Class type:	Patrol boat
Displacement:	270 tonnes
Length:	56.8 metres
Beam:	9.5 metres
Draught:	2.7 metres
Propulsion and power:	2 x MTU 16V M70 2320 kW diesels driving twin screws through ZF transmissions
Speed:	25 knots
Range:	3000 nautical miles
Boats and landing craft carried:	2 x Zodiac 7.2 m waterjet seaboats
Capacity:	Accommodation for 20 passengers
Complement:	21
Armament:	1 x Rafael Typhoon 25mm naval stabilised deck gun 2 x 12.7mm machine guns
Sensors:	Low light optical, communication direction finding and radar
Aircraft facilities:	None

The Armidale class patrol boat is a new class of patrol boats under construction for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and intended to replace the RAN's Fremantle class patrol boats. Designed and built by Austal Ships, the leadship HMAS Armidale was commissioned into the RAN in June 2005. The final ship in the class (HMAS Launceston) is due to be delivered to the RAN in May 2007.

The ships will be based in Cairns, Darwin and Dampier to conduct border security and fishing patrols of Australia's northern waters. The ships may also be used to support the Army's Regional Force Surveillance Units and special forces. All of the Armidale Class ships will be operated by the Australian Patrol Boat Group.

Unlike the Fremantle class patrol boats, the Armidale class patrol boats will not have a crew permanently assigned to the vessel. Under current plans 21 crews will be raised to man the 14 Armidale class patrol boats. Three of the four Divisions equipped with the patrol boats will be assigned six crews to man the Division’s four ships, with the 4th Division (equipped with two patrol boats) being assigned the remaining three crews. These crews will rotate between the ships in their Division. The Royal Australian Navy believes that multi-crewing the Armidale class vessels will allow the ships to spend more time at sea while providing adequate rest time for their crews.

[edit] Units

Ship	Commissioning date	Commissioning location
HMAS Armidale (ACPB 83)	24 June 2005	Darwin, Northern Territory
HMAS Larrakia (ACPB 84)	10 February 2006	Darwin, Northern Territory
HMAS Bathurst (ACPB 85)	10 February 2006	Darwin, Northern Territory
HMAS Albany (ACPB 86)	15 July 2006	Albany, Western Australia
HMAS Pirie (ACPB 87)	29 July 2006	Port Pirie, South Australia
HMAS Maitland (ACPB 88)	September 2006	Newcastle, New South Wales
HMAS Ararat (ACPB 89)	November 2006	Melbourne, Victoria
HMAS Broome (ACPB 90)	February 2007	Broome, Western Australia
HMAS Bundaberg (ACPB 91)	February 2007	Bundaberg, Queensland
HMAS Wollongong (ACPB 92)	June 2007	Port Kembla, New South Wales
HMAS Childers (ACPB 93)	May 2007	Cairns, Queensland
HMAS Launceston (ACPB 94)	September 2007	Launceston, Tasmania
HMAS Maryborough (ACPB 95)	TBA	TBA
HMAS Glenelg (ACPB 96)	TBA	TBA