Bay class patrol boat Botany Bay underway in Darwin Harbour
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Class overview | |
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Name: | Bay class Patrol Boat |
Builders: | Austal Ships |
Operators: | |
In service: | 1999 to present |
Completed: | 8 |
Active: | 8 |
General characteristics | |
Type: | Patrol boat |
Displacement: | 134 tons |
Length: | 38.2 m (125 ft) |
Beam: | 7.2 m (24 ft) |
Draught: | 2.4 m (7.9 ft) |
Propulsion: |
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Speed: | 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) |
Range: | 1,000 nautical miles (1,900 km; 1,200 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) |
Boats & landing craft carried: |
2 × Wiltrading Pursuit 640 vessels (USLC-2C Survey) |
Complement: | 12 crew |
Sensors and processing systems: |
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Armament: | 1 × 7.62 mm general purpose machine gun |
The Bay class is a class of eight armed patrol boats, built by Austal Ships and used by the Customs Marine Unit of the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service. They entered service during the late 1990s and early 2000s, and are primarily used on border protection duties.
The class was due to be replaced by 2010, but a request for tender was not issued until June of that year. The availability of the Bay class ships decreased during the later years of their service life. After the Cape class began entering service, four of the Bays were offered to other forces; two each to the Sri Lankan Navy and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency.
Bay class vessels have a displacement of 134 tons, are 38.2 metres (125 ft) long, have a beam of 7.2 metres (24 ft), and a draught of 2.4 metres (7.9 ft). The propulsion system consists of two MTU 16V 2000 M70 diesels, supplemented by a VosperThornycroft bow thruster. The patrol boats have a maximum speed of 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph), and a maximum range of 1,000 nautical miles (1,900 km; 1,200 mi). Each vessel is fitted with a 7.62 mm general purpose machine gun, and two Wiltrading Pursuit 640 vessels are carried for boarding operations. The sensor suite consists of a Racal Decca surface search radar operating in the E/F and I bands, and a Wesmar SS 390E dipping sonar. A Bay class vessel has a crew of 12.
The Bay class was built by Austal Ships. The eight ships were delivered over a period of 19 months, beginning in February 1999.
The Bay class design was used as the basis for the 14 larger Armidale class patrol boats in use with the Royal Australian Navy, and the 10 patrol boats used by the Yemen Navy.