Austal has secured its first European defence contract with an order for four 21.2 metre inshore patrol craft – including training and spares support – with the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM).
The vessels will be built at Austal’s Australian facilities and are scheduled for delivery by the end of the year.
Intended to assist the AFM with surveillance and border protection throughout Malta’s coastal waters, the vessels will have a maximum speed of more than 26 knots and will be capable of supporting 7.62mm and 12.7mm guns.
The new order adds to Austal’s current patrol craft contracts comprising six high speed vessels for the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard and three patrol catamarans for the Queensland Police. Austal also has contracts to design and build the US Navy’s 127 metre Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) and 103 metre Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV).
Managing Director Bob Browning said Austal was fielding increased interest from nations seeking fast and economical aluminium patrol craft for protection against modern-day coastal border security threats.