HMPNGS Rochus Lokinap (P402)

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HMPNGS Rochus Lokinap (P402) is the second Guardian class patrol vessel to be delivered to the Papau New Guinea Defence Force. Australia designed and will provided four Pacific Forum patrol vessels to Papua New Guinea in 1987 and 1988, and in 2015 confirmed she would be replacing those vessels with four larger, and more capable, Guardian-class vessels.[1]

Background

Following the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea extension of maritime nations' exclusive economic zones to 200 kilometres (Template:Convert/nmi) Australia agreed to provide twelve of its neighbours with twenty-two Pacific Forum-class patrol vessels, so they could exercise sovereignty over their own territory, using their own resources.[2] The first vessel was delivered in 1987, and in 2015 Australia announced plans to replace the original patrol boats with larger and more capable vessels.

Design

Australian ship builder Austal won the $335 million Australian dollar contract for the project, and built the vessels at its Henderson shipyard, near Perth.[3] Guardian class vessels were designed to use commercial off-the-shelf components, not cutting edge, military grade equipment, to make them easier to maintain in small isolated shipyards.

The vessels are 39.5 metres (130 ft) long, can travel 3000 nautical miles at 12 knots .[3] Their maximum speed is 20 knots .[4] Their design allows the recipient nations to mount a pair of heavy machine guns, on either flank, and possibly an autocannon of up to 30mm, on the foredeck.

Namesake

The vessel is named after Brigadier General Rochus Lokinap, who had been chief officer of PNGDF in March 1990, and marshalled loyal troops when Police Commissioner Paul Tobian threatened to replace Prime Minister Rabbie Namaliu in a coup.[5]

References

  1. "Austal Launched First Guardian Class Pacific Patrol Boat". Navy recognition. 2018-06-20. http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/news/defence-news/2018/june-2018-navy-naval-defense-news/6286-austal-launched-first-guardian-class-pacific-patrol-boat.html. Retrieved 2018-06-22. "The first of 21 Guardian-class, Pacific Patrol Boats (PPB-R) was launched by Austal last month. The first vessel is scheduled for delivery to Papua New Guinea in late October 2018." 
  2. "PAPUA NEW GUINEA (PNG)". Australian government. 2014-04-03. http://png.embassy.gov.au/files/pmsb/140403%2520-%2520PNG%2520DEFRELS%2520update.pdf. Retrieved 2018-07-09. "Help develop the PNGDF’s capacity to secure its borders, contribute to United Nations (UN) and multilateral peacekeeping missions, and cooperate with the ADF in areas such as disaster relief." 
  3. 3.0 3.1 Hamish Hastie (2018-05-30). "Wrapped up with a bow: First Pacific patrol boat hits the water". Sydney Morning Herald. https://www.smh.com.au/national/western-australia/wrapped-up-with-a-bow-first-pacific-patrol-boat-hits-the-water-20180530-p4zid3.html. Retrieved 2018-07-09. "The $335 million Pacific patrol boat program was awarded to Austal in 2016 and will see 21 'Guardian Class' boats built in WA and gifted to 12 Pacific Island countries and East Timor as part of the Pacific maritime security program." 
  4. Gabriel Dominguez (2018-12-03). "Papua New Guinea receives first Guardian-class patrol boat". Jane's Defence Weekly (London). Archived from the original on 2018-12-03. https://web.archive.org/web/20181203231502/https://www.janes.com/article/84969/papua-new-guinea-receives-first-guardian-class-patrol-boat. Retrieved 2018-12-03. "The steel-hulled boat was built with space and weight considerations for a 30 mm naval gun as a primary weapon, as well as port and starboard mounts for 12.7 mm general-purpose machine guns." 
  5. Keith Scott (1990-03-16). "In PNG a coup on the rocks". Canberra Times: p. 1. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/120885349. Retrieved 2020-11-08. 

External links