Te Kukupa

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The Te Kukupa in 2011.

CIPPB Te Kukupa is a Pacific Forum patrol boat, built by Australia and operated by the Cook Islands.[1][2]

Background

When the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Seas established that all maritime nations exclusive economic zones extended 200 kilometres (124 mi) from their shores, Australia designed and built 22 patrol vessels that it then gave to 12 of its neighbours in the Pacific Forum, so they could exercise sovereignty over their zones, from their own resources.[3]

Australia provided just one vessel to the Cook Islands, and will be providing it with a larger and more capable replacement, from the Template:Sclass2.[4] The replacement is scheduled to be delivered in 2022.[5]

Design

Australia designed these vessels using commercial off-the-shelf equipment, rather than high performance military grade equipment to help ease the maintenance burden of maintaining the vessels in small, remote shipyards. Te Kukupa displaces 160 tons, and is designed to allow its crew to remain at sea for missions of up to ten days.

Operational history

The vessel underwent a major refit in Australia in 2015.[2][6]

On November 3, 2017, Te Kukupa rescued the owner of the yacht Zangano, whose engines had failed several days earlier.[1][7]

The Te Kukupa was employed delivering Covid 19 vaccines in 2021.[8][9]

Replacement

Australia promised to replace the Te Kukupa with a more modern vessel, when she was approaching the end of her operational life.[9][10] Manufacturer Austal completed the Te Kukupa II in January 2022.[11]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Yacht in trouble again off the Cooks". Radio New Zealand. 2017-10-31. Archived from the original on 2018-06-22. https://web.archive.org/web/20180622220326/https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/342770/yacht-in-trouble-again-off-the-cooks. "Cook Islands police patrol boat Te Kukupa is on a rescue mission after a distress alert was sent by the yacht Zangano, which was about 500km southwest of Rarotonga yesterday." 
  2. 2.0 2.1 Matariki Wilson (2015-05-15). "Patrol boat ‘born again’". Cook Islands News. Archived from the original on 2019-12-09. https://web.archive.org/web/20191209050038/http://www.cookislandsnews.com/item/51765-patrol-boat-born-again/51765-patrol-boat-born-again. Retrieved 2018-06-22. 
  3. Dave Morley (2015-12-03). "Lifelines across Pacific". Navy News 58 (23): p. 8. Archived from the original on 2018-01-22. https://web.archive.org/web/20180122073052/http://www.defence.gov.au/Publications/NewsPapers/Navy/editions/5918/5918.pdf#page=8. 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. Emmanuel Samoglou (2014-06-18). "Patrol boat offer for the Cook Islands". Cook Islands News. Archived from the original on 2018-08-22. https://web.archive.org/web/20180722155918/http://www.cookislandsnews.com/item/47234-patrol-boat-offer-for-cooks/47234-patrol-boat-offer-for-cooks. Retrieved 2018-06-22. 
  5. Marise Payne (2019-07-17). "Australian foreign minister to visit Cook Islands". Mirage News. Archived from the original on 2019-07-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20190718013908/https://www.miragenews.com/australian-foreign-minister-to-visit-cook-islands/. Retrieved 2019-07-17. "I will visit the Cook Islands’ Patrol Boat, Te Kukupa, which will be replaced with a new Guardian-Class Patrol Boat in 2022 under our Pacific Maritime Security Program." 
  6. "Cairns industry refloats Cook Islands patrol boat". ABC Far North Qld. 2015-04-21. Archived from the original on 2018-08-22. https://web.archive.org/web/20180722155918/http://www.cookislandsnews.com/item/47234-patrol-boat-offer-for-cooks/47234-patrol-boat-offer-for-cooks. 
  7. "Rescued sailor returned to Rarotonga". Radio New Zealand. 2017-11-03. Archived from the original on 2018-06-22. https://web.archive.org/web/20180622193211/https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/342942/rescued-sailor-returned-to-rarotonga. Retrieved 2018-06-22. "The yacht, Zangano, was reached by Te Kukupa drifting in the Niue exclusive economic zone." 
  8. "Cook Islands almost 100 per cent vaccinated". Pacific Advocate. 2021-08-04. Archived from the original on 2022-01-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20220120041734/https://pacificadvocate.com/cook-islands-almost-100-per-cent-vaccinated/. Retrieved 2022-01-19. "The vaccines were transferred to the Cook Islands Police boat Te Kukupa’s inflatable boat because the surrounding coral reef was hard to navigate without local knowledge." 
  9. 9.0 9.1 "About : Welcome to the official Facebook page of the Australian High Commission in the Cook Islands". Australian High Commission Cook Islands. 2021-08-22. Archived from the original on 2022-01-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20220120043438/https://findsun.net/p-6343866/australian-high-commission-cook-islands. Retrieved 2022-01-19. "Welcome back to the crew of Te Kukupa with the Te Marae Ora Ministry of Health Cook Islands team who have safely delivered the second vaccination jab to Palmerston island. In its last year of service before Australia hands over Te Kukupa II to Cook Islands Police Service this fine vessel continues to help keep Cook Islanders safe." 
  10. Melina Etches (2020-10-03). [https://web.archive.org/web/20220120041354/https://www.cookislandsnews.com/local/police-patrol-vessel-te-kukupa-turns-31/ "Police patrol vessel Te Kukupa turns 31 Saturday 3 October 2020"]. Cook Island News. Archived from the original on 2022-01-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20220120041354/https://www.cookislandsnews.com/local/police-patrol-vessel-te-kukupa-turns-31/. Retrieved 2022-01-19. "Maritime Cook Islands looks forward to the delivery of a new patrol vessel in 2022." 
  11. "Austal launches 15th Guardian-class patrol boat Te Kukupa II for Australia". Navy Recognition. 2022-01-19. Archived from the original on 2022-01-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20220120042523/https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/naval-news/naval-news-archive/2022/january/11286-austal-launches-15th-guardian-class-patrol-boat-te-kukupa-ii-for-australia.html. Retrieved 2022-01-19. "Te Kukupa II, for the Cook Islands Police Service, was launched this week at the Australian Marine Complex in Henderson, Western Australia after a safe transfer by Vulcan Engineering from Austal’s Naval Base shipyard." 

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