Australian defence shipbuilder Austal has been awarded a contract extension for the construction of two additional Evolved Cape-class patrol boats for the Australian Border Force (ABF).
This latest award, valued at approximately AU$150.3 million (US$107.5 million), brings the total number of Evolved Cape-class patrol boats contracted for delivery to the ABF to six.
The award follows the recent delivery of the tenth Evolved Cape-class patrol boat to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), ADV Cape Hawke (pictured), in March 2026.
Austal delivered eight of the original Cape-class patrol boats to the ABF between 2012 and 2015. These were followed by additional vessels delivered to the RAN in 2017, and the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard in 2021.
The Evolved Cape-class design features expanded accommodation for up to 32 personnel. The boats will support a wide range of constabulary missions.
Construction of the two new patrol boats will take place at Austal’s Henderson shipyard in Western Australia.
