Pacific-class patrol boat

The Pacific class (also known as the Pacific Forum class and the ASI 315 class ) is a class of 22 patrol boats built by Australia and donated to twelve South Pacific countries. Constructed from 1985 to 1997 and operated by militaries, coast guards or police forces of the twelve island nations, these boats are supported by the Pacific Patrol Boat Program. They are used primarily for maritime surveillance and fisheries protection.

Design and construction
Following the introduction of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in 1982, which introduced a 200 nmi Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to the territories of all nations with an ocean coastline, several Southwest Pacific island nations found themselves responsible for policing an area of ocean that was beyond their maritime capability, and often significantly larger than their land territories (at its most extreme, the EEZ of Tuvalu dwarfs its landmass by a ratio of almost 1:28,000). Following requests by several Pacific nations for assistance from the governments of Australia and New Zealand, the Australian government created a Defence Cooperation Project, the Pacific Patrol Boat Program to design and provide suitable patrol boats to nearby island nations, along with training and infrastructure to support these ships. The Program was officially announced by Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke during the South Pacific Forum meeting held in Canberra on 29 and 30 August 1983.

Requests for tenders were issued in August 1984, and the contract was awarded to Australian Shipbuilding Industries (ASI), who had designed a small vessel capable of maritime surveillance and interdiction, search and rescue operations, and fisheries protection on 9 May 1985. A prototype was constructed by ASI in 1984; smaller than the Pacific class, the craft was later sold to the Solomon Islands Police Force and named Savo. Construction of the Pacific class began in September 1985. It was initially planned that ten ships would be produced for eight countries, with the first ship, HMPNGS Tarangau delivered to the Papua New Guinea Defence Force on 16 May 1987. The program continued until 15 ships were ordered, then was terminated before being reopened in February 1993. By the time the program concluded, 22 ships had been delivered to 12 countries, with the final ship, FSS Independence, delivered to the Federated States of Micronesia in June 1997. The Pacific Patrol Boat Project is the largest and most complex defence co-operation project ever funded by Australia.

Each patrol boat has a length of 31.5 m, a beam of 8.1 m, a draught of 1.8 m, and a full load displacement of 162 tonnes. They are fitted with two Caterpillar 3516TA diesel engines, which provide 2,820 horsepower to two propeller shafts, driving the vessel at a maximum of 20 kn. Pacific-class vessels have a maximum range of 2500 nmi at 12 kn, and can remain at sea for up to ten days. Armament varies depending on the operating nation; the patrol boats may carry GAM-BO1 20 mm guns, 7.62 mm machine guns, or 12.7 mm machine guns, and these may not be permanently fitted. Each ship carries a Furuno 1011 surface search radar, which operates in the I band. The ship's company varies between 14 and 18, depending on the operating nation. In order to reduce construction and maintenance costs, the vessels were built to commercial, as opposed to military, standards, and with the need for companies in the operating nations to be capable of providing parts and minor maintenance in mind.

There were initial problems with the propellers, engine cooling systems, and air conditioning, but these were fixed before the completion of the third ship of the class. The class underwent refits during each ship's seventh or eighth year of operation, and again at the fifteenth year (which is ongoing until 2012). This has extended the predicted service life of the class to 2027.

Derivatives
Several variant designs for the Pacific class have been produced by Australian Shipbuilding Industries (later Transfield ASI, then Tenix), for a variety of operators.

Four patrol boats of a slightly shortened 31 m design were produced for the Kuwait Coast Guard. An unarmed version of this design is also offered to the operators of oil platforms as crew transport.

Six modified versions of the Pacific class were built for the Hong Kong Marine Police as the Protector class. The main difference is the installation of a pump-jet engine to supplement the main propulsion.

A single navigation training vessel, Seahorse Mercator, was built for Defence Maritime Services in 1999 which operates the ship under contract to the Royal Australian Navy. Although the hull design is the same, the interior and superstructure are significantly modified. The Seahorse Mercator design was used as the basis for the Royal Canadian Navy's eight Orca class patrol vessels, although Canadian engineers modified the Orcas to the point where they only share the basic hull shape with the Australian ship.

A 35 m, all-aluminium design based on the Pacific-class hull, the Ilocos Norte class, was created for the Philippine Coast Guard. Four of these ships were delivered in December 2001, and are used as search and rescue vessels. An option for a follow on order by the Philippines of ten more ships was offered, but has not been used. The Ilocos Norte design was used in 2008 for the New South Wales Police Force patrol vessel Nemesis; the largest police-operated patrol boat in the Southern Hermisphere.

Role and benefits
The Pacific-class patrol boats are used primarily for maritime surveillance and fisheries protection. They are often the only surveillance capability the operating nation has access to, and their presence has often deterred foreign fishing fleets. The ability to patrol the waters has provided boosts to economies through both fishing fines and improved negotiation stances when discussing foreign fishing rights and fees. As part of the patrol role, the Pacifics have been used for customs inspection of ships, and have stopped some smuggling and drug-running operations. Some nations charter the vessels out to other government agencies or private companies for salvage work, hydrographic surveying, or even tasks like helping to establish aquaculture farms. Pacific-class patrol boats have also seen use in humanitarian roles such as search-and-rescue, towing of disabled vessels, sea safety checks on vessels, and inter-island transport, particularly for disaster relief operations.

The patrol boats also provide indirect benefits to the operating nations. Operation of the Pacifics has often required the expansion of maritime facilities, providing jobs and facilitating access for other ships. In addition to the economic boost from fishing fees and fines, improved hydrographic charts created by the ships contributes to boosting tourism. The ships are seen as miniature warships, and are a point of pride and prestige for the island nations. Crew training by the Australian Maritime College (AMC) has increased the number of trained seafarers in the operating nations, improving the skill level of each nation's maritime sector.

The Pacific Patrol Boat Program has also provided benefits to Australia and New Zealand. These nations enjoy an improved strategic presence in the region, and the naval advisors supplied to operating nations create personal networks within those nations, while improving the skill set and knowledge of the Pacific-class operators. These advisors regularly interact with officials from agencies outside the normal scope of diplomats, and can obtain political and strategic information inaccessible through other avenues. The naval advisors also allow the military-operated vessels to maintain links to larger naval forces. The ability for the operating nations to provide their own humanitarian support likewise reduces the need for Australian and New Zealand assets to become involved in relatively small-scale incidents.

Support and infrastructure
Australian Shipbuilding Industries (later Tenix) provides support facilities for the class in Brisbane, Australia, and Suva, Fiji.

Crew training for the Pacific-class patrol boats is offered by the Australian Department of Defence and the Australian Maritime College (AMC). The AMC runs an average of 32 classes per year in support of the Pacific Patrol Boat Program. The AMC does not possess a Pacific-class patrol boat to use as a training vessel; instead, the 13 m TV Pinduro is fitted with identical electronic equipment.

The cost of the project to Australia as of 1998 has been A$249 million. Each recipient country has funded most operating costs, with the United States contributing to the costs of Palau, the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia through the Compact of Free Association.

Operators
Twelve nations operate Pacific-class patrol boats, as part of their military, coast guard, or police force:
 * 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea (4 ships),
 * 🇫🇯 Fiji (3),
 * Federated States of Micronesia (3),
 * 🇹🇴 Tonga (3),
 * 🇸🇧 Solomon Islands (2),
 * 🇨🇰 Cook Islands (1),
 * 🇰🇮 Kiribati (1),
 * 🇲🇭 Marshall Islands (1),
 * 🇵🇼 Palau (1),
 * 🇼🇸 Samoa (1),
 * 🇹🇻 Tuvalu (1),
 * 🇻🇺 Vanuatu (1)

Ships

 * Sourced from



Future replacement
It is predicted that as the Pacifics approach the end of their service life, the operating nations may again approach Australia to assist in providing replacement ships. Patrol boats built to a similar design to the RAN's Armidale-class or RNZN's Protector-class are considered to be appropriate, and would help support the Australian shipbuilding industry. However, acquiring these more complex ships may be financially restrictive and more difficult to maintain for some of the smaller nations.

A 2008 report recommended that the Australian Defence Force not pursue a replacement program, due to the rising costs of operating and fueling the ships (over double the expected annual cost of A$12 million two years in a row), poor operating rates (averaging 36 days at sea per ship per year) linked to the operating nations' difficulties in crewing and maintaining the ships, and a lack of support from the other nations with interests in the Pacific.