Commissioned on 28 June 2025, HMAS Arafura is the lead ship of the Royal Australian Navy’s new Arafura-class offshore patrol vessels (OPV), bringing significant enhancements to Australia’s maritime patrol capacity. Designed to replace older patrol and minehunter classes, Arafura was built at Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia and is based on the Lürssen OPV80 design. Measuring 80 metres in length and with a displacement of 1,640 tonnes, Arafura is powered by twin diesel engines, giving her a maximum speed of 20 knots and a range of 4,000 nautical miles. She carries a crew of 40, with accommodation for up to 60 personnel, and supports a range of roles including border protection, maritime patrol, constabulary duties, and disaster relief, often in collaboration with Australian Border Force and other regional defence partners. Equipped with a 25mm main gun, two .50 calibre machine guns, multiple RHIBs, and modular mission spaces for integrating UAVs and future mine countermeasure and hydrographic systems, HMAS Arafura introduces greater flexibility and advanced surveillance capabilities to the fleet.
