Royal Australian Navy Commissions New OPV HMAS Arafura

The Royal Australian Navy appointed the initial Arafura-class Offshore Patrol Vessel, HMAS Arafura, right into its fleet on 28 June, 2025. The appointing comes greater than 3 years after the vessel was released.

Australian ministry of support news release

Today notes a significant landmark of the Australian Federal government’s application of the Surface area Fleet Testimonial with the appointing of HMAS Arafura right into the Royal Australian Navy fleet.

HMAS Arafura is the initial Arafura course overseas patrol vessel (OPV) of the Navy’s surface area fleet.

HMAS Arafura will certainly participate in the fleet at an appointing event in Western Australia today.

Navy’s OPVs will certainly aid patrol and safe Australia’s maritime boundary along with the developed Cape course patrol watercrafts. They will certainly likewise contribute in altruistic and calamity alleviation, boost local involvement and assistance various other Navy goals.

These brand-new capacities have a higher series of 4,000 maritime miles, and can execute functions that formerly called for many vessels. These OPVs will certainly likewise have actually boosted living quarters and facilities to far better assistance employees.

The Federal government’s Independent Evaluation right into Navy’s Surface area Contender Fleet (Surface Area Fleet Testimonial) declared the requirement for the Arafura course OPVs whilst suggesting they run along with the developed Cape course patrol watercrafts.

HMAS Arafura was developed by German shipbuilder Luerssen Australia at the Osborne Shipyard in South Australia.

The 2nd OPV, NUSHIP Eyre, has actually been developed and is waiting for approval by Navy. The rest of the 4 ships are incomplete at the Henderson Shipyard in Western Australia.

Replacement Head Of State, the Hon Richard Marles, claimed:

“ The appointing of HMAS Arafura notes an essential landmark in the application of the Federal government’s Surface area Fleet Testimonial.
” HMAS Arafura implies that the Navy can remain to make certain the safety and security and protection of our maritime boundaries.
” The appointing of HMAS Arafura is a transforming factor, and we will certainly remain to see the Navy present brand-new vessels right into its fleet.”

Priest for Support Sector, the Hon Rub Conroy claimed:

” The distribution of these overseas patrol vessels is an exceptional instance of our collaboration with support market at work.
” The Australian Federal government has actually functioned collaboratively with Support and Luerssen Australia to efficiently provide HMAS Arafura, with an additional ship en route and 4 even more incomplete at Henderson.
” The building and construction of the continuing to be 4 ships gets on track, and proceeds the Australian Federal government’s financial investment in an effective, continual marine shipbuilding and sustainment market.”

Priest for Support Employee, the Hon Matt Keogh claimed::

” HMAS Arafura supplies on our prepare for Australian employees to develop vessels for the fleet quicker than Australia has for years, to make certain the Navy has what it requires to protect our nationwide passions mixed-up.
” Arafura likewise supplies better living quarters and facilities to sustain our extremely knowledgeable marine employees as they patrol and shield our shoreline.”
” My ideal desires most likely to the staff of the Arafura as they handle this brand-new obstacle, and might they have reasonable winds and adhering to seas. My many thanks likewise most likely to their family members, whose assistance allows our employees to do what they do every single day for our country.”

Principal of Navy, VADM Mark Hammond claimed:

” A solid Australia relies upon a solid Navy, one that is outfitted to perform diplomacy in our area, discourage prospective opponents, and safeguard our nationwide passions when called.
” The Arafura course overseas patrol vessels will certainly execute a variety of functions, consisting of local involvement, patrol obligations, and work of uncrewed systems in a range of goals.”

Naval Information remarks:

When Arafura was released in December 2021 at the Osborne Naval Shipyard, it was planned to be the initial of 12 ships equipped with 40mm major weapons. They were destined  to change the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) fleet of smaller sized Armidale and Cape course patrol watercrafts in their totality. Rather, as NUSHIP Arafura lastly comes close to access right into solution, it is equipped with a 25mm cannon and is just one of just 6 vessels.

Those 6 ships, instead of comprising the RAN’s patrol pressure, will certainly rather comprise much less than fifty percent of the Navy’s patrol pressure moving forward. In their area, Austal-built Evolved Cape course patrol watercrafts, which were initially readied to give just an acting capacity in between the Armidale and Arafura courses, have been commissioned into the RAN and ordered by the Australian Border Force

Hold-ups in the program has disappointed the RAN and Defence, that have actually been required to once-again assign frigates to border patrol work, and market alike. Undoubtedly, the business’s experience with the Arafura course program shows up to have so soured Luerssen Australia that its moms and dad business, NVL Team, has actually introduced strategies to unload from the nation. In June 2025 Civmec announced a deal with NVL Group which will certainly see the latter’s risk in Luerssen Australia offered to Civmec.

What created the program, which showed up straightforward in nature, to experience such hold-ups and concerns is the topic of extreme dispute in Australia. While the precise reasons for the troubles might never ever be understood, the Australian National Audit Workplace (ANAO) has actually obtained lessons gained from the procedure that bode improperly for Australia’s Sea 3000 project:

” Poor duration to perform purchase can decrease the chance for due persistance throughout tender analyses. Supplying adequate time for due persistance is critical to make certain the honesty and performance of the purchase procedure,” the ANAO wrapped up in its yearly record on Support purchase.

” Making use of recommendation ship layouts from various other navies given peace of mind in the purchase procedure however it stays critical to extensively recognize the desired capacities and needs, and make certain positioning with job purposes,” it even more specified.

The article Royal Australian Navy Commissions New OPV HMAS Arafura showed up initially on Naval News.