Royal Australian Navy’s seventh Evolved Cape-class patrol boat launched

Austal Australia has launched the future ADV Cape Solander, the seventh Evolved Cape-class patrol boat that the company is building for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

Like its earlier sisters, the vessel has an aluminium hull, a length of 58 metres, and accommodations for 32 crewmembers and other personnel. Armament will include two pintle-mounted 12.7mm machine guns.

Austal said the Evolved Cape-class vessels will be built with a number of enhancements over the baseline Cape-class patrol boats, improving operational capability and crew capacity compared to the vessels already operated by the RAN and the Australian Border Force.

The boat will also come equipped with Austal’s proprietary motion control system, which consists of roll fins and trim flaps that are automatically-driven to provide improved stability under a range of speed settings.

Delivery of the future Cape Solander is scheduled for later this year.

The navy will use the Evolved Capes in constabulary operations, primarily to the North of Australia, enforcing Australian sovereign immigration and fisheries laws. They will be maintained at the Regional Maintenance Centre North East in Cairns.