ADV Cape Inscription

Cape-class patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy

ABFC Cape York, sister ship of Cape Inscription, at Austal shipyards in Henderson, Western Australia in December 2020
History
Australia
NamesakeCape Inscription
BuilderAustal, Henderson, Western Australia
CommissionedMay 2017
HomeportHMAS Cairns
Identification
  • IMO number: 9806251
  • MMSI number: 503216000
  • Callsign: VMCI
  • Pennant number: 320
General characteristics
Class and typeCape-class patrol boat
Length58.1 m (190 ft 7 in)
Beam10.6 m (34 ft 9 in)
Draught3.1 m (10 ft 2 in)
Propulsion2 x Caterpillar 3516C diesels 6,770 horsepower (5,050 kW) 2 shafts, 1 bow thruster
Speed26 knots (48 km/h; 30 mph)
Range4,000 nmi (7,400 km; 4,600 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement25 standard, 32 maximum
Armament2 × 12.7 mm (0.5 in) machine guns

Australian Defence Vessel (ADV) Cape Inscription, named after Cape Inscription in Western Australia, is a Cape-class patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).[1]

The ship is the second of two Cape-class patrol boats to be delivered to the Royal Australian Navy, the first having been the Cape Fourcroy. The ship was built by Austal in Henderson, Western Australia, commissioned in May 2017 and based at HMAS Cairns in Queensland.[1]

Austal was originally awarded a $350 million contract to construct eight Cape-class patrol boats for the Australian Border Force to replace the Bay-class patrol boats in 2011, with the eight boats delivered between 2013 and 2015. A $63 million contract for two more boats, for lease by the RAN, was awarded to Austal by the National Australia Bank in December 2015.[1] Subsequently, the RAN ordered another eight Evolved Cape-class patrol boats from Austal.[2][3] In November 2023, the RAN ordered a further two evolved Cape-class patrols, at a cost of A$157.1 million.[4]

Unlike the later ten boats, which are in a grey colour scheme, Cape Inscription and Cape Fourcroy are in the blue and white colour scheme of the eight Australian Border Force vessels, but without the red stripe.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Cape Class Patrol Boats". Naval Technology. 21 August 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  2. ^ "Evolved Cape-Class Patrol Boats, Australia". Naval Technology. 18 August 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  3. ^ "Six More Austal-Built Cape-Class Patrol Boats For The Royal Australian Navy". Naval News. 2 May 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  4. ^ "Securing continuous Naval Shipbuilding at Henderson Shipyard in Western Australia". Australian Defence Ministry. Archived from the original on 29 April 2024. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  5. ^ "ADV Cape Inscription Image Gallery". Department of Defence. Retrieved 16 July 2023.

External links

  • Royal Australian Navy webpage for ADV Cape Inscription
  • Austal: Cape-class Patrol Boat (Austal Patrol 58)
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 Royal Australian Navy
Active
  • Cape Capricorn
  • Cape Fourcroy
  • Cape Inscription
  • Cape Naturaliste
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