Australia's second Arafura-class Offshore Patrol HMAS Eyre completes sea trials for future patrol missions.

On July 25, 2025, the Australian company Civmec announced that the HMAS Eyre (OPV 204), the second vessel of the Arafura-class Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) program, successfully completed its sea trials off the coast of South Australia. The trials included Sea Acceptance Testing (SAT), which verified the operational status of systems, including propulsion, communications, navigation, and combat-related components.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

The HMAS Eyre, named after the Eyre Peninsula, is now considered ready for formal handover to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), with commissioning expected later in 2025. (Picture source: Civmec)

With the commissioning of the first ship, HMAS Arafura, having taken place on June 28, 2025, the completion of Eyre’s sea trials marks the final stage of Arafura-class production at the Osborne Naval Shipyard. The third ship, HMAS Pilbara, is scheduled to be launched later this year at Civmec’s Henderson facility in Western Australia. The remaining vessels, Gippsland, Illawarra, and Carpentaria, are also under construction at the same site, with the final delivery currently expected in 2029. Maritime photographer Trevor Powell documented Eyre at sea between June 30 and July 9, capturing multiple trial sorties around Osborne, where final outfitting work had been completed by BAE Systems Maritime Australia.

The HMAS Eyre, also known as NUSHIP Eyre (OPV 204), was laid down on April 9, 2020, and launched on November 22, 2023. The ship is named after the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia and is the first Royal Australian Navy (RAN) vessel to carry the name. It is the second Arafura-class ship built and the last of its class to be constructed at Osborne. The ship displaces 1,640 tonnes, measures 80 metres in length, 13 metres in beam, and 4 metres in draught. Powered by two MTU 16V diesel engines rated at 4,440 kW, Eyre can reach a top speed of 22 knots and has a range of 4,000 nautical miles. The vessel can operate at sea for 21 days and has accommodation for 40 crew members, with berthing available for up to 60 personnel. Each ship is fitted with a Saab Situational Awareness System, incorporating the EOS500 electro-optical fire control director, Terma SCANTER 6002 radar, Furuno navigation radars, and the Safran Vigy Engage multisensor suite. Three rigid-hulled inflatable boats, two side-launched (8.5 metres) and one stern-launched (10.5 metres), are carried aboard for mission support. A light UAV capability is planned for integration under Project SEA 129. The utility deck is rated for loads up to 11 tonnes, but the ships do not support helicopter operations.

The original SEA 1180 OPV program was conceived in the 2009 Defence White Paper as a component of the broader Offshore Combatant Vessel (OCV) plan to consolidate four existing ship types into a modular class. It aimed to replace 26 ships from the Armidale-class patrol boats, Huon-class minehunters, Leeuwin-class survey ships, and Paluma-class survey launches. The program initially envisioned up to 20 vessels capable of modular reconfiguration for missions such as border protection, hydrography, mine warfare, and general patrol tasks. The modular system, comparable to that used by the Danish Navy and the U.S. Littoral Combat Ships, was intended to reduce logistical complexity and increase operational flexibility. However, the scope was reduced in the 2013 Defence White Paper to 12 vessels and later revised to 14 when two mine countermeasures variants were added under SEA 1905. A third survey-oriented vessel was considered under SEA 2400 but has not proceeded. In 2023, the Albanese government decided to cap the program at six vessels, citing the class’s limitations in survivability and combat capability.

The ships are based on the Lürssen-designed OPV80 and share lineage with the Darussalam-class used by the Royal Brunei Navy. HMAS Arafura was the first ship laid down on May 10, 2019, and launched in December 2021, though sea trials did not begin until August 2024 due to issues related to structural fire protection standards. The government’s concern about the class’s limited armament led to the cancellation of the 40 mm Oto Marlin main gun in 2021. The interim weapons fit consists of a 25 mm M242 Bushmaster autocannon on a Rafael Typhoon stabilized mount and two .50 calibre machine guns. Additional capabilities under consideration include integration of Kongsberg Naval Strike Missiles or a containerized version of the C-Dome surface-to-air missile system, though no final decision has been made. In October 2022, the Albanese government placed the Arafura-class on the Defence Projects of Concern list and began reassessing whether the ships should be reallocated to agencies like the Australian Border Force or transferred to regional partners such as Papua New Guinea. These assessments remain ongoing as the Defence Strategic Review called for realignment of surface fleet investment toward more survivable and combat-capable vessels.

On July 1, 2025, Civmec acquired Luerssen Australia from Naval Vessels Luerssen (NVL) for A$20 million. The acquisition included all assets, personnel, and licensing agreements, and the company has been renamed Civmec Defence Industries Pty Ltd (CDI). This move gives Civmec full control over the delivery of the remaining Arafura-class vessels, consolidating design, construction, and program management responsibilities. The company operates out of the Henderson Maritime Precinct and maintains regional offices in Newcastle, Gladstone, and Port Hedland. Civmec's services include structural, mechanical, and piping engineering; modularization; electrical and instrumentation work; surface treatment; and naval shipbuilding. With this acquisition, Civmec intends to complete five additional OPVs over the next three and a half years while expanding its capacity to bid on future defence programs. The company has stated that it will aim to improve production efficiency, reduce program delays, and enhance sovereign shipbuilding capability through the integration of Luerssen’s experienced workforce and technical systems.

Construction of the third to sixth Arafura-class vessels is underway at Civmec’s Henderson facility. HMAS Pilbara was laid down on September 11, 2020; HMAS Gippsland on July 30, 2021; HMAS Illawarra on September 27, 2022; and HMAS Carpentaria on December 5, 2022. Completion and commissioning are planned sequentially through 2029, with Pilbara’s launch expected by the end of 2025. While the Arafura-class has faced criticism regarding its limited combat capability and suitability for contested environments, it remains a central element of the RAN's maritime patrol and constabulary mission profile. The vessels are expected to replace the Armidale-class and Cape-class patrol boats and support maritime domain awareness across Australia’s territorial waters and exclusive economic zone. Recent Chinese naval operations, including a circumnavigation and live-fire drills near Australia, have emphasized the growing need for persistent patrol coverage and surveillance capabilities, reinforcing the need to maintain a minimum number of hulls despite reduced ambition for high-end combat roles.

In parallel, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) continues to pursue the SEA 3000 program to procure up to 11 new multirole frigates before 2030. The new frigate class is expected to assume high-end combat roles not addressed by the Arafura-class and restore a more balanced surface combatant force structure. The OPV program has also supported the continuity of naval shipbuilding skills in South Australia, bridging workforce requirements ahead of larger programs such as the Hunter-class frigates, the SSN-AUKUS nuclear-powered submarines, and the Hobart-class combat system upgrade. South Australian-based companies involved in the OPV program include Saab Australia, Raytheon Australia, ENGIE Axima, Eptec, Penske Australia in collaboration with MTU, and Taylor Brothers. Although HMAS Eyre’s launch and sea trials represent a key milestone, the overall future of the Arafura-class remains subject to evolving assessments of strategic priorities, budget allocations, and operational utility in Australia’s maritime security framework.