First Arafura-class Offshore Patrol Vessel Delivered to Australian MoD

The Australian Department of Defence has accepted the first Arafura class Offshore Patrol Vessel, NUSHIP Arafura, for further testing and evaluation before its official delivery to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

Built under Project SEA 1180 by Luerssen Australia at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia, NUSHIP Arafura is the first of six planned Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) designed to enhance maritime security. The first two vessels are being built at Osborne, while the remaining four are under construction at Henderson in Western Australia.

The Arafura class will form part of the Navy Minor War Vessel Fleet, supporting civil maritime security operations and regional engagement across the Southwest Pacific and maritime Southeast Asia. The vessels are intended to improve the RAN’s ability to conduct border protection, fisheries patrols, and other surveillance tasks.

NUSHIP Arafura will now sail to its homeport at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia, where it will undergo final preparations before commissioning into the RAN fleet later this year.