Yemen Navy Flotilla Departs Fremantle in Record Shipment

The unusual sight of ten navy patrol vessels being loaded onboard the heavy lift ship “Maria” in the first week of February contrasted the normal exports leaving the Western Australian port of Fremantle. The shipment is a truly international logistics exercise involving leading aluminium shipbuilder Austal; Singapore-based project and heavy lift shipping specialist Coli Shipping (S); SAL, the German owners of “Maria”; and the Yemen Ministry of Defence which ordered the boats in June 2003. Loading of the 37.5 metre boats, each weighing in at 90 tonnes, was managed by local heavy lift and logistics specialists, Global Hire.

The delivery of these vessels heralds an important step in Austal’s progress as an internationally recognised supplier of navy and patrol vessels. It follows last month’s naming ceremony for the first of twelve 57 metre patrol boats for the Royal Australian Navy, and reflects Austal’s status as one of Australia’s most successful and advanced manufacturing companies.

Austal Chairman, Mr John Rothwell said, “Thanks first must go to our skilled designers and technical staff who were able to provide the winning design ahead of some 24 competing shipyards worldwide. Following this, the skill of our tradespeople has delivered a product that has certainly impressed the customer, and which is likely to be of interest to other nations seeking to boost their coastal security.”

The patrol boats have been designed to meet a variety of operational requirements including general police missions in coastal waters, customs control and anti-terrorist operations at sea, offshore protection and tracking, surveillance of the Exclusive Economic Zone, defence and protection of national sea areas and operations within integrated task forces.

The heavy lift ship left the Australian Marine Complex on Wednesday 9 February and will offload the Middle East nation’s new maritime force in the port of Hodeida in approximately two weeks time. Eagerly awaiting the arrival of the new patrol boats are the 60 members of the Yemen defence force who each spent several weeks in Perth last year receiving instruction on vessel operation and maintenance techniques.

Austal employs approximately 1200 people at its shipyards in Henderson, Western Australia and currently has 19 vessels on order, ranging in size from 38 metres to 127 metres in length. These existing contracts provide work through to mid-2007.