Royal Australian Navy decommissions patrol boat Pirie

By Baird Maritime - April 1, 2021.

*Photo: Royal Australian Navy/Leading Seaman Shane Cameron*

The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) decommissioned the patrol boat HMAS Pirie in a ceremony at its homeport of Darwin on Friday, March 26.

Pirie, the first Armidale-class patrol boat to be decommissioned, conducted a wide variety of border protection missions and tasks to combat illegal fishing over the past 15 years. The vessel also deployed on Operation Resolute, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) operation to protect Australia’s borders and offshore maritime interests.

The navy said the decommissioning will help make way for the first of the service’s new Arafura-class offshore patrol vessels (OPVs).