Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Participates in Eighth Cape Class Keel Laying Ceremony

Austal Limited (Austal) (ASX:ASB) is pleased to announce Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Senator the Honourable Michaelia Cash, participated in a keel laying ceremony today for the eighth Cape Class Patrol Boat at Austal’s Defence Facility in Henderson, Western Australia.

The vessel, Cape York, named after the northernmost point on the Australian continent, is the last of eight vessels being designed, constructed and sustained by Austal for the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service under a contract valued at approximately $330 million awarded in August 2011.

The first three Cape Class Patrol Boats, Cape St George, Cape Byron and Cape Nelson have already been successfully delivered to enter border protection operations. The fourth vessel, the Cape Sorell, is undergoing sea trials and will be delivered by the end of the year. All eight vessels of the current Cape Class production run are on track to be delivered by August 2015 in line with the original contract.

The keel laying ceremony is a time honoured shipbuilding tradition where three specially minted coins are placed under a keel block as a symbol of good fortune and to bless the ship. These coins will be removed just prior to the patrol boat’s launch.

The three coins for the Cape York keel laying ceremony were placed by Assistant Minister Cash; Austal Vice President Defence Davyd Thomas; and Customs and Border Protection acting National Director Ian Laverock.