Austal Ships secures contract extension for Evolved Cape Class patrol boats for Australian Border Force

The award follows the recent delivery of the 10th Evolved Cape Class patrol boat to the Royal Australian Navy, ADV Cape Hawke, in March 2026.

Austal Limited chief executive officer Paddy Gregg said the Evolved Cape Class Patrol Boat Project (SEA 1445-1) is a highly successful and critical element of Australia’s continuous naval shipbuilding and sustainment enterprise, delivering effective maritime capability for the nation.

“Austal has delivered 10 Evolved Cape Class patrol boats to the Royal Australian Navy in just over five years, and construction is well advanced on the first four vessels for the Australian Border Force,” Gregg said.

“These additional two vessels further strengthen our record order book of more than AU$17.7 billion, which includes 18 Landing Craft Medium and eight Landing Craft Heavy vessels to be delivered to the Australian Army, under the Strategic Shipbuilding Agreement with the Commonwealth of Australia.

“Contract extensions such as this, along with other construction and sustainment programs in Australia and the United States; including aircraft carrier elevators and submarine modules for the US Navy, are contributing approximately AU$500–700 million annually to Austal’s order book.

“We thank the Commonwealth of Australia for its continued trust in Austal and look forward to building on our strong partnerships with hundreds of supply chain partners in the Henderson Defence Precinct and across Australia to deliver these additional vessels for the Australian Border Force.”

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Austal delivered eight of the original Cape Class patrol boats to the Australian Border Force between 2012 and 2015.

These were followed by additional vessels delivered to the Royal Australian Navy in 2017 and the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard in 2021.

Since 2020, the Commonwealth of Australia has ordered 14 Evolved Cape Class patrol boats for the Royal Australian Navy and Australian Border Force.

The Evolved Cape Class patrol boat design features expanded accommodation for up to 32 personnel, enhanced quality of life systems, and advanced sustainment technologies to maximise operational availability. The vessels are designed to support a wide range of missions, including border protection, fisheries enforcement and national security operations.

Construction of the two new patrol boats will take place at Austal’s Henderson shipyard in Western Australia, supported by a proven national supply chain and integrated project teams from the Department of Defence and the Australian Border Force.

Austal continues to provide comprehensive in-service support for both Cape Class and Evolved Cape Class fleets through facilities in Henderson (Western Australia), Cairns (Queensland), and Darwin (Northern Territory).