Australia to Give Maldives New Patrol Boat to Tackle Maritime Crimes

 

Australia has announced that it will extend its Pacific Maritime Security Program for the first time sending a patrol boat to an Indian Ocean nation. Australia has previously given patrol boats to 16 Pacific Ocean nations.

In the past five years, Australia has been donating Guardian-class boats to nations, as part of its defense initiative to boost maritime security in the South Pacific. Australia’s foreign policy has been focusing on the Pacific Ocean, but this is now widening to strengthen its influence in the Indian Ocean. The patrol boat to Maldives represents a key milestone in this shift.

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said the Guardian-class patrol boat will help the archipelago be better placed to protect its sovereign waters. In particular, the boat will enable Maldives to have a more persistent presence in its vast exclusive economic zone to deter, detect and disrupt illegal maritime activities. 

As an archipelago of low-lying islands, the country’s existence is severely threatened by rising sea levels, with the World Bank warning that by 2050, 80 percent of Maldives could become uninhabitable due to global warming.

The boat is currently under construction at Austal Australia and is due for completion in 2026. The Guardian-class patrol boats are 39.5 meters (130 feet) long and are designed to have the capability of traveling at a maximum speed of 20 knots and a maximum 3,000 nautical mile range. Each vessel can accommodate up to 23 people.

The Minister of Defense of the Maldives Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon, acknowledged the donations describing Australia as a mutual partner in the safety and security of the seas. He said the vessel was part of the country’s president, Mohamed Muizzu’s vision of doubling the strength of the Maldives Coast Guard.

In April, Turkey also donated its former TCG Volkan (P343) missile boat to the Maldives Coast Guard. This became the largest defense platform for the coast guard, whose fleet largely consists of patrol boats and landing craft. 

Australia is building a total of 24 vessels gifting them to 16 nations. The Guardian-class vessels are replacing the existing 22 Pacific Patrol Boats gifted to 12 Pacific Island countries between 1987 and 1997. The first vessel was delivered to Papua New Guinea in 2018 and last year number 21 went to Tuvalu and 22 was sent to Fiji.

Apart from gifting Maldives one of the boats, Australia will also gift a multi-beam echo sounder to the island nation. The hydrographic equipment will support the country’s capability to map its ocean floor, helping to ensure maritime safety and unlock economic development.