The Royal Australian Navy has decommissioned Armidale Class Patrol Boat HMAS Glenelg at HMAS Coonawarra, Darwin following 14 years of service. Commander Australian Fleet, Rear Admiral Jonathan Earley, CSC, RAN attended the ceremony and recognised the service of the Ship’s Company. Since commissioning in 2008, HMAS Glenelg has worked alongside Border Force, Australian Fisheries and the Australian Federal Police as part of border protection operations.
“HMAS Glenelg and the men and women who have served in the vessel have made a significant contribution to our national interest. The professional and dedicated crews have protected our nation’s borders and offshore maritime interests. Today we reflect on the contribution while looking to our future and the ongoing renewal of our fleet. Navy is transitioning to 12 new Arafura Class Offshore Patrol Vessels. These boats have greater range and endurance than our existing boats,” Rear Admiral Earley said.
It has served in Operations AUGURY (Philippines,) SOLANIA (South West Pacific) and APEC ASSIST (PNG). Glenelg’s crews have also exercised with regional partners including Indonesia, Singapore and Brunei. HMAS Glenelg is named after the Adelaide suburb of Glenelg in South Australia and is the fourth Armidale Class Patrol Boat to be decommissioned. The Armidale class is a class of patrol boats built for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Planning for a class of vessels to replace the fifteen Fremantle-class patrol boats began in 1993.
All fourteen boats were constructed by Austal at its shipyard in Henderson, Western Australia. Lead ship HMAS Armidale was commissioned into the RAN in June 2005. Two other patrol boats were delivered to the RAN in 2005, six in 2006, and five in 2007, with the final ship in the class, HMAS Glenelg, delivered in October 2007 and commissioned in February 2008. Each patrol boat has a length of 56.8 metres (186 ft), a beam of 9.7 metres (32 ft), a draught of 2.7 metres (8.9 ft), and a standard displacement of 300 tons.
