Marine Unit (Australian Border Force)

The Marine Unit, formerly the Australian Customs Service National Marine Unit, is a division of the Australian Border Force which acts as a Coast Guard in guarding Australia's coast. The Marine Unit focuses on surveillance and response activities within the Australian Economic Exclusion Zone (EEZ), and the operation and training of ships and crews to do so.

The Bay class patrol boat Australian Customs Vessel (ACV) Storm Bay
Cape St George, on Darwin Harbour
The Australian Customs Vessel (ACV) Ocean Protector
ADV Ocean Shield

Operations
See also: Maritime Border Command (Australia)

The CMU and the Border Protection Division (formerly known as Coastwatch) make up the Customs contribution to Maritime Border Command, a joint command with the Australian Defence Force and incorporating assets from the Australian Fisheries Management Authority, the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, and state-level agencies. Maritime Border Command is responsible for protecting Australia's maritime areas, offshore assets, and external territories from threats, including the exploitation of natural resources, people smuggling, importation or exportation of drugs and other illegal items, piracy, and terrorism.

Current Ships

ABFC Ocean Shield is a 110.9-metre (364 ft) offshore patrol vessel which entered service in June 2012 and is as sister ship to ADV Ocean Protector. [1]

ABFC Thaiyak is a 40-metre (130 ft) vessel delivered in June 2014 [2] intended to replace the Ashmore Guardian. In addition, charter arrangements give Customs access to an additional twenty vessels of various sizes and types; these are called on when required to transport apprehended foreign fishermen and illegal entrants, or tow captured vessels.

Ships operated by the CMU were referred to as Australian Customs Vessels (ACVs) until the creation of Australian Border Force in 2015 when the prefix of vessels operated by the CMU was changed to Australian Border Force Cutter (ABFC). Vessels prefixed with Australian Defence Vessel (ADV) are owned by the Department of Defence

List of current vessels [3]

8 Cape class patrol boats

  • ABFC Cape St. George
  • ABFC Cape Byron
  • ABFC Cape Nelson
  • ABFC Cape Sorell
  • ABFC Cape Jervis
  • ABFC Cape Leveque
  • ABFC Cape Wessel
  • ABFC Cape York

Former Ships

8 Bay-class patrol boats

ACV Triton

ACV Ashmore Guardian

MV Oceanic Viking

References
  1. "Australian Defence Vessel (ADV) Ocean Shield - Naval Technology". Retrieved 13 September 2019.
  2. "Strategic Marine Delivers MV Thaiyak".
  3. "Patrol vessels". Australian Border Force. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
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