Australia’s First Arafura-class OPV Starts Sea Trials
NUSHIP Arafura maneuvering on sea trial.
The first Australian Arafura-class OPV, NUSHIP Arafura, has commenced builder trials at builder Osborne in South Australia. The sea trials follow two year delay in commissioning the first of class OPV in a program Australia reduced from twelve to six hulls earlier this year.
NUSHIP Arafura, the first of class offshore patrol vessel (OPV), has commenced sea trials on Monday last week, August 26, 2024. Interestingly neither the Australian Department of Defence nor any other government agencies have issued official statements on the event. Personal imagery and comments by officials, industry representatives at builder Luerssen Australia and local ships spotters on various social media platforms exclusively make up all information on this notable step for a major, if troubled defence procurement.
NUSHIP (the designation until the Royal Australian Navy officially commissions a vessel) Arafura is the first of now six OPV under procurement. The overall program, dubbed SEA 1180 traces its roots back all the way to 2009. Australia’s Defence White Paper released then formulated a common hull requirement for patrol, mine warfare and hydrographic survey tasking. SEA 1180 has since experienced a long and troubled development. This includes making it onto the list of Defence “Projects Of Concern” in 2023 over significant delays and integration issues
NUSHIP Eyre on the Shiplift at Osborne Naval Shipyard.
Builder Osborne Naval Shipyard launched the first of class Arafura on December 16, 2021 in South Australia. The Australian Liberal National government then in office intended to build twelve Arafura-class OPV covering patrol requirements. The Royal Australian Navy originally planned to commission Arafura herself in 2022.
A delay of at least two years to service is not the only challenge for the program. The Navy has also failed in their effort integrating the favored main weapon system on the OPV. Australia originally selected the OTO Marlin 40 mm medium caliber cannon for Arafura. This weapon system was not part of the equipment suite already integrated on the Luerssen OPV 80-baseline design. OPV 80 as promoted by Luerssen includes a Bofors 57 mm gun, also used on Brunei’s adaption of the design.
As a result NUSHIP Arafura on her trials now is carrying a 25 mm Bushmaster autocannon in a Rafael Typhoon mount carried over from the decommissioned Armidale-class patrol boats. The Royal Australian Navy has designated this armament an interim solution, although a final replacement has yet to emerge.
The Australian Labor-government elected in 2022 has cut SEA 1180 from twelve to six hulls in February 2024. The step was part of their response to the Surface Fleet Review in 2023. Canberra’s aim now is growing RAN fleet numbers for a more numerous fleet of medium sized combat vessels. The move results in discarding smaller designs, including the retirement without replacement of all mine warfare boats. As of August 2024 one further hull, NUSHIP Eyre, is fitting out at Osborne in South Australia. A further four Arafura-class OPV are under construction at CIVMEC in Western Australia.