Austal's PPB-R facility opens
Austal's new Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement (PPB-R) shipbuilding facility has been officially opened in Naval Base, Western Australia, the company announced on 8 March.
The company will run the Australian government's PPB-R programme from the 10,500m² facility. Under the contract awarded in May 2016, Austal is to build 19 patrol boats that will be gifted by the Commonwealth of Australia to twelve Pacific Island nations as part of Australia's Pacific Maritime Security programme.
The project is a key element in the Australian government's Continuous Naval Shipbuilding Plan.
The detailed design review for the vessels has been completed, and Austal is set to begin construction in late April 2017, with deliveries scheduled from 2018 to 2023.
The PPB-R project will also see Austal provide training and sustainment services for the fleet, which will be carried out from facilities in Cairns, Queensland.
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