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Warship

Australia

Austal Limited

Arafura-class

A steel-hulled offshore patrol vessel built by Austal and Luerssen for the Royal Australian Navy to conduct maritime security, border protection and constabulary patrol duties, replacing the Armidale-class patrol boats.

In service since 2022 · 1 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

1,640

8,000

nmi

crew

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

National export licensing

Subject to Australia export-control approval; verify eligibility with the manufacturer.

Channel: Direct commercial / G2G

Fielded & proven

Limited · 1 operator

In service since 2022. Status: active · ~6 built.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from. Why so few systems publish one →

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Firepower specifications
Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.	25 mm Typhoon remote weapon station

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Physical specifications
Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.	80 m

Naval

Displacement, speed, endurance and diving depth.

Naval specifications
Displacement Standard displacement in tonnes, the ship’s size class. Larger hulls carry more but cost more and are less agile.	1,640 t
Max speed Top speed in knots (surfaced, for submarines). Higher aids positioning and screening.	22 kn Bottom 7% of warships
Range Cruising range in nautical miles. Nuclear vessels are effectively unlimited (fuel-wise). Higher means more reach without replenishment.	8,000 nmi Stronger than 80% of warships
Complement Crew size. Fewer eases manning cost; more may indicate a larger, more capable platform.	40
Propulsion plant Machinery type, nuclear reactor, gas turbine (COGAG), CODAG, diesel-electric, AIP.	2× diesel engines, twin shaft

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Program specifications
Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.	6 Stronger than 78% of warships
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.	1 Stronger than 45% of warships

Specifications compiled from public Austal Limited and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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