NUSHIP Carpentaria – the last Arafur type OPV under construction

On 29 August, at the Civmec shipyards in Henderson (West Australia), the keel was held under the sixth and at the same time the last patrol vessel (OPV) of the type Arafur for the Royal Australian Navy. The unit will receive the name NUSHIP Carpentaria, thus completing the SEA 1180 programme under the Australian industrial policy in the defence sector.

In the ceremony participated Rear Admiral Michael Houghton, head of the patrol ship program, who, according to a long tradition, placed a coin under the keel of a new unit. As a representative of the Australian Navy stressed:

The position of the keel is a symbolic moment in the process of building the ship. For the Navy, it is an act of attachment to tradition, but also a sign of a new stage in the life of an individual at sea.

Importance of the OPV scheme to the Australian industry

The Arafura-type patrol vessel construction program is one of the key pillars of the Australian strategy for the continuity of the production of vessels. The project creates jobs, supports the development of local companies and allows to build competences in the national defence industry. According to Canberry, investments in ship-based programmes are expected to provide employment for around 8,500 specialists in the construction and maintenance of watercraft by 2030.

Read also: HMAS Arafura – prototype OPV in service of the Royal Australian Navy

Arafura units complement Australia's patrol capabilities by operating in parallel with Cape patrols in a upgraded version. Ships of this type are designed to carry out multi-tasking operations – from patrolling the vast exclusive economic zone (EEZ), to maritime border protection activities, to participating in missions as part of the new National Defence Strategy.

Construction run and number of units

The first two units of this type – HMAS Araphura and NUSHIP Eye – built in Osborne shipyard in South Australia. Another four, including CarpentariaThey're already in Henderson on the west coast of the country. HMAS Araphura was officially incarnate to serve on 28 June 2025, and NUSHIP Eyre it is to be transferred to the recipient this year.

Arafura OPV characteristics

Arafura patrol ships are 80 m long, 13 m wide and about 4 m submerged. Their buoyancy is about 1640 tons. The hull was adapted for operations in vast ocean waters, with a maximum range of 7400 km and a speed of 20 knots.

The base crew has 40 sailors, but the ship has seats for an additional 20 people. The gun consists of an automatic 40 mm cannon and two 12.7 mm machine guns.

Order reduction and new priorities for the Australian Maritime Strategy

According to the original assumptions of SEA 1180, Australian Polish Navy She was to receive 12 patrol units of type Arafura. However, the current government – guided by new priorities – limited the order to six copies. This decision was a result identified integration difficulties (including planned main weapons) and changing operational requirements.

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Canberra began searching for units with more combat potential and better adapted to activities in an environment of increasing risk. At the same time, the need to increase the number of hulls capable of conducting permanent operations in vast territorial waters and in the sole economic zone of Australia remains valid.

The increasing activity of the Navy of the People's Republic of China (PLAN), whose units carried out an operation to sail the entire Australian continent in early 2025, is becoming increasingly important. Accompanying maneuvers Exercise shooting increased tension in the region, raising legitimate concerns for the authorities in Canberra. According to experts, this was a demonstration of the force that prompted the Australian government to strengthen its defence potential, both through the development of new water capabilities and through the deepening of cooperation within the AUKUS alliance.

Given yesterday's text in which we wrote about an ambitious plan to modernise the Japanese Marine Defense Forces (text in link), it is clear that the actions of Australia and Japan form a coherent whole. Both countries respond to the increasing activity of the Navy of the People's Republic of China by investing in parallel new ships, unmanned systems and reinforced coast defence. Indo-Pacific is now becoming a key theatre of maritime competition, where the number of hulls, the potential for weapons and the ability to have a permanent presence at sea are of fundamental importance to the countries of the region.

Written by Mariusz Dasiewicz