RSIPV Auki (04)

RSIPV Auki is one of the Pacific Forum patrol boats Australia gave to the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force.[1][2]

Lata, sister ship to Auki
History
Solomon Islands
Name: Auki
Operator: Solomon Islands
Launched: 1991
Status: Ship in active service
General characteristics
Class and type: Pacific Forum-class patrol boat
Displacement: 162 tons
Length: 103 ft (31 m)

Background

Following the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea extending maritime nations' exclusive economic zones to 200 kilometres (110 nmi) Australia agreed to design, build, and give twelve of its fellow members of the Pacific Forum with patrol vessels, so they could police and extend sovereignty to their exclusive economic zones using their own resources.[3] Australia also helped build bases for the vessels, provide training, and help with maintenance.

Design

Australia designed the vessels to use commercial off-the-shelf equipment instead of cutting-edge, high-performance, military grade equipment, to ease the maintenance burden for their smaller neighbours.

Operational history

Auki helped provide aid to Vanuatu in 2015, after it was struck by a tropical cyclone.[4]

Auki remained in service after her sister ship Lata was decommissioned on September 11, 2019.[5][6][7]

Auki helped distribute ballot boxes in Vanuatu, in preparation for a general election, in March 2020.[8] Following detection of a tourist infected with the Covid-19 virus, in Vanuatu, Auki moored offshore of their opposite number's base, and prepared to begin a 14 day quarantine period, prior to returning to the Solomon Islands.

Replacement

Australia is scheduled to replace Auki with a new, larger and more capable Guardian-class patrol boat in early 2022.[2]

References
  1. "Maritime". Royal Solomon Islands Police Force. 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-06-17. Retrieved 2018-06-16. RSIPF Maritime operate two Pacific Class Patrol Boats owned by the RSIPF, the Lata (03) and Auki (04) as well as a range of smaller vessels.
  2. "RSIPF thank Australian gov't". Solomon Star News. 2018-06-15. Archived from the original on 2018-07-21. Retrieved 2018-06-16. Commissioner Varley explains: “The new Guardian class of patrol boats will be much larger with increased capacity and extended range compared to the current Pacific class of patrol boats. This will be great especially for patrolling of Solomon Islands large maritime border.”
  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. "Royal Solomon Island Police Vessel Auki returns from Tropical Cyclone Pam relief efforts in Vanuatu". Australian High Commission, Honiara. Honiara. 2015-05-22. Archived from the original on 2018-06-17. Retrieved 2018-06-16. The RSIPV Auki along with a second vessel, the RSIPV Lata, were gifted to the Solomon Island Government under the Australian Government’s Pacific Patrol Boat Program. Australia also provides assistance for ongoing maintenance and logistics support for the patrol boats, as well as providing valuable training opportunities for maritime officers.
  5. "Solomons patrol boat decommissioned after 31 years of service". Radio New Zealand. 2019-09-11. Retrieved 2019-09-13. Work is underway to extend the wharf at the police maritime base at Point Cruz in preparation for the new patrol boat, which is at least 10 metres longer than the current ones.
  6. "Farewell RSIPV LATA". Solomon Star. 2019-09-12. Retrieved 2019-09-11. In 2011 RSIPV LATA received an award of appreciation from the Australian Defence Department to the ship’s company for 'the excellent maintenance' of the boat.
  7. "RSIPF to farewell Patrol Boat Lata". Solomon Star. 2019-09-10. Retrieved 2019-09-10. RSIPV Lata will be farewelled during a ceremony at the Maritime Aola base and will be sailed back to Australia on 12 September 2019.
  8. "RSIPV Auki Remains in Vanuatu". Solomon Times. 2020-03-26. Retrieved 2020-03-26. The patrol boat Auki has been in Vanuatu to conduct a joint surveillance patrol with the Vanuatu patrol boat RVS Tukoro under the Niue Treaty Subsidiary Agreement between the two countries as well as assist the Vanuatu Government during their National General Election (NGE) last week.
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