The $ 2.1 billion fleet of Guardian-class patrol boats that Australia has given to Pacific nations to bolster regional security has been hit by design flaws, including carbon monoxide leaks, that call into question whether ships can stay at sea.
Under the program, Australian shipbuilder Austal will deliver 22 of the 39-meter vessels by 2023 to 12 countries in the Pacific islands, including Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Fiji and Timor-Leste, to combat fishing and · Legal and transnational crime.
Australia has given Guardian-class patrol boats to Pacific nations that have subsequently developed a number of problems. Credit: Defense
The decision to hand over the ships to Pacific neighbors was originally made by the Turnbull government in 2016 as part of the so-called Pacific Step-up.
Three major design flaws have arisen: in February 2021, a cracked coupling between the engine and the gearbox was discovered; and in May 2021, the ship’s infirmaries proved to have poor ventilation.
In late May this year, cracks in the exhaust were discovered, which allowed carbon monoxide to enter a compartment that is normally, but not always, unmanned.
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The ship’s manufacturer has agreed that all three issues are design issues, not manufacturing issues, and will bear the cost of the repairs.
Carbon monoxide leakage is the most serious of the three problems. It is unclear whether the vessels currently in service will be temporarily withdrawn or whether there will be further delays in the delivery of seven more vessels.
The former government was aware of the problems with Guardian-class ships before leaving office, and recently in late April, former Prime Minister Scott Morrison promoted them as proof of Australia’s commitment to protect fisheries and the security of Pacific nations.