Australian Patrol Boat Group

During the 1960s to mid-1980s, the local Australia Patrol Boat was divided into 3 main squadrons which were ported in the regions of Sydney (NSW), Cairns (QLD) and Darwin (NT). In the mid-1980s, the separation of squadrons was discontinued; HMAS Coonawarra, Darwin was established as the centralised headquarters.[1]

In 2002, increased illegal activity in Australia's northern maritime zones instigated the relocation of the patrol headquarters and vessels.[2] This change resulted in the increase of capacity of the primary ports in Coonawarra, Darwin and Cairns, Queensland to incorporate the vessels from the Sydney home port, which was disestablished.[2]

In July 2010, the Australian Border Force submitted a request for the construction of a new class of patrol vessels to supplement, and eventually replace, the patrol capacities of the Bay Class Patrol Group (which were due to end service in early 2010). From the 2010-2011 budget, Australian government commissioned 8 larger, upgraded vessels, named the Cape Class. The $350m contract, stipulating the vessels’ design, construction, and ongoing maintenance, was awarded to Austal on 12 August 2011.[3] The vessels entered service over March 2013 to September 2015.

On 18 December 2014, the RAN was forced to decommission the Patrol Boat group's HMAS Bundaberg of the Armidale Fleet.[4] The vessel had sustained irreparable damage during a refit in August 2014 by a fire aboard the ship.[5] To supplement the Armidale Class, Austal was commissioned for two additional Cape Class patrol boats for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), which were completed in 2017.[6]

Commencing in 1968, the Australian Naval Board changed the visual squadron designation of all RAN vessels to the US classification style.[1] The new patrol squadron classifications included:

·      AUSPABRON 1 (First Australian Patrol Boat Squadron)

·      AUSPABRON 2 (Second Australian Patrol Boat Squadron)

·      AUSPABRON 3 (Third Australian Patrol Boat Squadron)

·      PNGPABRON (Papua/New Guinea Patrol Boat Squadron)

Australian Patrol boats also adopted the traditional number system of the British Royal Navy. Single numbers were painted on the funnel of individual vessels as intra squadron identification. Each squadron also developed regional insignia, relating to its operational area.[1]

The Sydney squadron, AUSPABRON 1, displayed the motif of a red kangaroo superimposed upon the harbour bridge.

The Cairns squadron, AUSPABRON 2, displayed the symbol of a blue marlin and the number 2 ringed in gold. The signification of the marlin was adopted from the HMAS Cairns’ official badge.

The Darwin squadron, AUSPABRON 3, displayed the number 3 and an insignia of a water buffalo.

Patrol boats stationed in other Australian areas including Western Australia, Tasmania and South Australia also developed regional inspired insignia. These Included a Black Swan, Tasmanian devil, and magpie, respectively. The Papua New Guinea region squadron's attack class patrol boat insignia was unofficially displayed as a shark circling a palm tree.[1]

Following the mid-1980s dissolution of separate regional squadrons, the squadron numerical identification ceased. Current nomenclature is displayed on the vessel's pennant, as a 2 to 3-digit number. Each patrol vessel is also ascribed a name according to their region of operation.[7]

The Maritime Power Bill 2012 was introduced by the Gillard Government on the 30th of May 2012.[8] The 2012 Attorney-General Department stated the purpose for the Bill was to “harmonise and simplify” existing legislation by creating a clear framework for the extent and abilities of Australian maritime enforcement powers.[9] This framework outlines the authorisation of capabilities held by current vessels including Australian Patrol Boat Groups.  

The Maritime Powers (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2012 was introduced concurrently to the Maritime Power Bill 2012.[10] The most significant action of the bill was repealing all maritime enforcement powers contained within the Migration Act 1958, as these powers were now enshrined within the new Maritime Power Bill. The Bill repealed subsection 245F (8), which defined the ability of Australian vessels, including Patrol boat groups, to turn back unauthorised boats in Australian waters.[10] However, this amendment was stated by the Attorney-General Department to not reduce or increase existing Maritime powers.[9] These Bills were passed and enforced as of the 13th of March 2013.[10]

On the 29th of June 2014, an Indian flagged vessel was intercepted and detained by an Australian Royal Navy and Customs and Border Protection Service affiliated patrol boat as an action of Border Protection.[16] The vessel was initially discovered in the Indian Ocean approximately 300 kilometres away from the Australian territory, Christmas Island, within Australia's maritime territorial contiguous zone.[17]  

The foreign vessel was documented as containing 157 people, who identified as Tamil and were seeking asylum seeker status in Australia.[18]  On the 1st of July, Australian Patrol vessels deemed the foreign vessel unseaworthy due leakage issues, and the occupants were transferred to, and detained aboard, a RAN vessel. Subsequently, the occupants were the transported to Indian waters where the Australian government engaged in diplomatic negotiations with the Indian government to return the detained individuals. Overall, the detainment on high seas lasted between 3 and 4 weeks.[18]

The legality of the detainment and transportation of the asylum seeker claimants aboard the Australian patrol vessel was challenged in a case that was brought to the High Court in October 2014. The verdict was finalised in January 2015, with 4 to 3 judges ruling in favour of the defendant, the Australian Commonwealth.[19]

In 2014, the High Court’s ruling in the case CPCF v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection[19] affirmed the authority of Australian Patrol vessels to detain illegal immigrants and turnback or assist the return of illegal boats.

This was expressed as: “Section 72(4) of Maritime Powers Act 2013 (Cth) authorised maritime officer to detain person for purpose of taking person to place outside Australia[19]” (“CPCF v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection”, 2015). This ruling set a precedent for the future treatment of individuals identified as non visa holding illegal immigrants by Australian patrol vessels.

The National naval shipbuilding enterprise is an investment in maritime defence vessels, maintenance, and ship building locations by the Australian government. The current the prospected investment is approximately $168 to $183 billion.[30] The program, including the 2017 Naval Shipbuilding Plan and the 2020 Force Structure Plan[31] outlines a framework to technologically equip, fiscally sustain and develop capabilities for current and future Australian Naval Operations.[30]

Plan Galileo was launched in April 2020. The plan aims to sustain and improve upon the available resources of Regional Maintenance Centres (RMCs).[32] The sites of these centres include Perth, Darwin, Cairns and Sydney:[32] centres which provide logistical support and physical harbour space for existing RAN vessels including the currently operating Armidale Class patrol boat groups.[1]