Royal Australian Navy patrol boat Wollongong retires from service

The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) decommissioned the Armidale-class patrol boat HMAS Wollongong in a ceremony at HMAS Cairns on Thursday, December 8.

The patrol boat, which served for 15 years, is being retired along with some of its Armidale-class sisters as the RAN transitions to the longer-ranged Arafura-class offshore patrol vessels (OPVs).

During its naval service, Wollongong operated alongside the Australian Border Force, Australian Fisheries, and the Australian Federal Police as part of border protection operations. The vessel also regularly conducted joint operations with the 51st Battalion, Far North Queensland Regiment of the Australian Army, conducted patrols of oil and gas installations in northern Australian waters, and was used as a training platform for Australian Defence Force personnel.