Australian shipbuilder Austal has launched the first of two Cape-class patrol boats for the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard (TTCG) , under construction at the company’s Henderson, Western Australia shipyard.
Under a A$126 million contract awarded by the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (GORTT), Austal is constructing two 58-metre boats for the TTCG, scheduled for delivery in the first half of 2021.
The new TTCG Capes are based on the 58-metre aluminium monohull patrol boat, first developed by Austal in Australia for Australian Border Force.
The vessels have a 4,000 nautical mile range and 28-day patrol cycle, with a crew of up to 22. Each Cape is equipped with two high-speed 7.3-metre rigid hull inflatable boats used for intercepting other vessels.
Austal is also delivering 21 Guardian-class patrol boats (GCPB) for 12 Pacific Island nations and Timor Leste under the SEA3036-1 Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement Project, with eight patrol boats delivered since 2018.
Twelve Pacific Island nations including Papua New Guinea , Fiji, the Federated States of Micronesia, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Palau, Samoa, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Timor Leste will receive the vessels through to 2023.