According to information published by Austal on February 7, 2023, Austal Australia has successfully launched the fifth Evolved Cape class patrol boat (ECCPB) for the Royal Australian Navy.
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Evolved Cape class patrol boat ADV Cape Woolamai. (Picture source: Australian MoD)
The future ADV Cape Woolamai, named after the headland at the south-eastern tip of Phillip Island in Victoria, was launched at the Henderson, Western Australia shipyard following approximately 12 months construction and only four months after the launch of the last ECCPB, in September 2022.
About the ECCPB
The Cape class is a ship class of 20 large patrol boats used by various organizations, including the Australian Border Force, the Royal Australian Navy, and the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard.
The class has a displacement of 400 tonnes, a length of 57.8 meters, and a beam of 10.3 meters. It has a draught of 3 meters and is propelled by 2 Caterpillar 3516C main engines with a total output of 2,525 kW, paired with 2 ZF 9055A gearboxes and 2 fixed pitch propellers. Additionally, it has a HRP 2001 TT 160 kW bow thruster for high maneuverability.
The patrol boat has a speed of 25 knots and a range of 4,000 nautical miles at 12 knots, with an endurance of 28 days. She can carry 2 7.3-meter Gemini RHIBs and a small boat.
THE ECCPB is equipped with 2 electronic chart display and information systems, 2 gyro compasses, 2 differential global positioning systems, 1 secure marine automatic identification system, 1 electro-optical sensor system, 1 radar, and a voyage data recorder. The armament includes 2 .50 caliber machine guns.
