CIPPB Te Kukupa

CIPPB Te Kukupa is a Pacific-class patrol boat, built by Australia and operated by the Cook Islands.[1][2]

HMPNGS Dreger, a sister ship to Te Kukupa
History
Cook Islands
Name: Te Kukupa
Owner: Cook Islands Police Force
Operator: Cook Islands Police Force
Christened: May 1989
In service: May 1989
Refit: 2015
Identification:
General characteristics
Class and type: Pacific-class patrol boat
Displacement: 162 tons
Complement: 15

Background

When the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Seas established that all maritime nations exclusive economic zones extended 200 kilometres (124 mi) from their shores, Australia designed and built 22 patrol vessels that it then gave to 12 of its neighbours in the Pacific Forum, so they could exercise sovereignty over their zones, from their own resources.[3]

Australia provided just one vessel to the Cook Islands, and will be providing it with a larger and more capable replacement, from the Guardian class.[4] The replacement is scheduled to be delivered in 2022.[5]

Design

Australia designed these vessels using commercial off-the-shelf equipment, rather than high performance military grade equipment to help ease the maintenance burden of maintaining the vessels in small, remote shipyards. Te Kukupa displaces 160 tons, and is designed to allow its crew to remain at sea for missions of up to ten days.

Operational history

The vessel underwent a major refit in Australia in 2015.[2][6]

On November 3, 2017, Te Kukupa rescued the owner of the yacht Zangano, whose engines had failed several days earlier.[1][7]

References
  1. "Yacht in trouble again off the Cooks". Radio New Zealand. 2017-10-31. Archived from the original on 2018-06-22. Retrieved 2018-06-22. Cook Islands police patrol boat Te Kukupa is on a rescue mission after a distress alert was sent by the yacht Zangano, which was about 500km southwest of Rarotonga yesterday.
  2. Matariki Wilson (2015-05-15). "Patrol boat 'born again'". Cook Islands News. Archived from the original on 2018-06-22. Retrieved 2018-06-22.
  3. Dave Morley (2015-12-03). "Lifelines across Pacific" (PDF). Navy News. 58 (23). p. 8. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-01-22. Retrieved 2018-08-12. The program involves 22 Australian-gifted patrol boats to 12 Pacific island countries, the majority of which are operated by police services.
  4. Emmanuel Samoglou (2014-06-18). "Patrol boat offer for the Cook Islands". Cook Islands News. Archived from the original on 2018-07-22. Retrieved 2018-06-22.
  5. Marise Payne (2019-07-17). "Australian foreign minister to visit Cook Islands". Mirage News. Archived from the original on 2019-07-18. Retrieved 2019-07-17. I will visit the Cook Islands’ Patrol Boat, Te Kukupa, which will be replaced with a new Guardian-Class Patrol Boat in 2022 under our Pacific Maritime Security Program.
  6. "Cairns industry refloats Cook Islands patrol boat". ABC Far North Qld. 2015-04-21. Retrieved 2018-06-22.
  7. "Rescued sailor returned to Rarotonga". Radio New Zealand. 2017-11-03. Archived from the original on 2018-06-22. Retrieved 2018-06-22. The yacht, Zangano, was reached by Te Kukupa drifting in the Niue exclusive economic zone.
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