HMPNGSRabaul

History
Papua New Guinea
Name	Rabaul
Operator	Papua New-Guinea Defence Force
Launched	1987
Decommissioned	August 2018
Fate	Scrapped
General characteristics
Class and type	Pacific Forum-classpatrol boat
Displacement	162 tons
Length	103 feet (31 m)

HMPNGSRabaul(01)was the firstPacific Forum patrol vesselto becommissioned,in May 1987.^[1]She is not the first vessel of the class to go out of service, because hersister shipfromFiji RFNSKirowas wrecked in 2016.^[2]^[3]She arrived inPort Moresby,for disposal, on October 24, 2018.^[4]The vessel was namedHMPNGSTarangau.^[5]

Australia gavePapua New Guineafour vessels, and gave an additional eighteen vessels to neighboring countries in thePacific Forum.^[5]^[6]Australia gave these vessels to her smaller neighbors after theUnited Nations Convention of the Laws of the Seaestablished that maritime nations had 200-kilometre (120 mi)exclusive economic zone.^[7]Australia gave these vessels so its neighbours could police their own sovereignty.

Design

Australia designed the vessels usingcommercial off-the-shelftechnology, so small countries would find them easier to maintain, in small remote shipyards. Australia fully equipped the ships, prior to delivery, with the exception of providing armament, but they are capable of mounting anautocannonon the foredeck.

Operational history

Rabauland her sister ships played a role in theBougainville conflict.^[6]

Replacement

Australia started building a new, larger, and more capableclass of patrol vessels,to replace the Pacific Forum class.^[1]^[7]Rabaulwas replaced byHMPNGSTed Diro,in December 2018.

References

^^a ^b "Papua New Guinean patrol boat HMPNGS Rabaul completes final mission".Naval Technology.2018-10-24.Archivedfrom the original on 2018-10-24.Retrieved2018-10-24.The vessel sailed for the last time from Lombrum Naval Base on Manus Island to Port Macquarie in New South Wales, Australia, where it is due to undergo environmentally responsible disposal.
^ "Fiji navy patrol vessel RFNS Kiro grounded at Cakauyawa Reef".Maritime Herald.2016-07-19.Archivedfrom the original on 2018-06-12.Retrieved2018-06-11.The Fiji navy patrol vessel RFNS Kiro grounded at Cakauyawa Reef on 6 nautical miles off Makuluva Island, Suva.
^ Arieta Vakasukawaqa (2016-08-03)."Kiro Grounding Probe Completed".Fiji Sun.Archivedfrom the original on 2018-06-12.Retrieved2018-06-11.He said works to salvage the RFNS Kiro would be an expensive operation for the Fiji Navy.
^ Sarah West (2019-02-12)."Pacific security bolstered as first Guardian class Patrol Boat commissioned".Australian Navy Daily.Archivedfrom the original on 2019-02-12.Retrieved2019-02-13.Papua New Guinea's former Pacific Patrol Boat, ex-HMPNGS Rabaul, arrived in Australia for environmentally responsible disposal in October 2018, and NUSHIP Ted Diro was handed over to Papua New Guinea in November.
^^a ^b "Semaphore: February 2005".Semaphore magazine.February 2005.Archivedfrom the original on 2018-10-25.Retrieved2018-10-24.The governments of a number of the Pacific island nations expressed their concern about the need for a suitable maritime patrol force to fulfil their new surveillance requirements. The Australian government responded by instituting a Defence Cooperation Project (DCP), to provide suitable patrol vessels and associated training and infrastructure to island nations in the region. The Pacific Patrol Boat Systems Program Office was created within the Minor War Vessels Branch of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) procurement organisation to manage the DCP[2] and to be the Project Authority.
^^a ^b Marcus Boomen (2017)."The Prospects of Developing War Crimes Databasing Projects: A Case Study of the Bougainville Conflict"(PDF).Canterbury University.Archived(PDF)from the original on 2018-02-16.Retrieved2018-10-24.The Papua New Guinea Defence Force – This is the military of PNGDF and identifies all uniformed soldiers as well as the naval and air assets. Their air force contains Australian-supplied UH-1 Iroquois helicopters, Pacific class patrol boats 1-4 HMPNGS Rabaul, Dreger, Seeadler and Moresby as well as Nomad light aircraft.
^^a ^b Joanne Wallis (2018-10-20)."Australia steps up its Pacific pivot".East Asia Forum.Archivedfrom the original on 2018-10-25.Retrieved2018-10-24.A particularly well received aspect of the Defence Cooperation Program is the Pacific Patrol Boat Program. While the program has faced challenges in the past, these have been outweighed by its benefits, both to recipient states and Australia. Australia was right to build on the existing program with the Pacific Maritime Security Program, which will see new boats supplied to the region as well as a commitment to provide personnel and sustainment over 30 years.

[Nt2018-10-24-1] "Papua New Guinean patrol boat HMPNGS Rabaul completes final mission".Naval Technology.2018-10-24.Archivedfrom the original on 2018-10-24.Retrieved2018-10-24.The vessel sailed for the last time from Lombrum Naval Base on Manus Island to Port Macquarie in New South Wales, Australia, where it is due to undergo environmentally responsible disposal.

[maritimeherald2016-07-19-2] "Fiji navy patrol vessel RFNS Kiro grounded at Cakauyawa Reef".Maritime Herald.2016-07-19.Archivedfrom the original on 2018-06-12.Retrieved2018-06-11.The Fiji navy patrol vessel RFNS Kiro grounded at Cakauyawa Reef on 6 nautical miles off Makuluva Island, Suva.

[FijiSun2016-08-03-3] Arieta Vakasukawaqa (2016-08-03)."Kiro Grounding Probe Completed".Fiji Sun.Archivedfrom the original on 2018-06-12.Retrieved2018-06-11.He said works to salvage the RFNS Kiro would be an expensive operation for the Fiji Navy.

[NavyDaily2019-02-12-4] Sarah West (2019-02-12)."Pacific security bolstered as first Guardian class Patrol Boat commissioned".Australian Navy Daily.Archivedfrom the original on 2019-02-12.Retrieved2019-02-13.Papua New Guinea's former Pacific Patrol Boat, ex-HMPNGS Rabaul, arrived in Australia for environmentally responsible disposal in October 2018, and NUSHIP Ted Diro was handed over to Papua New Guinea in November.

[Semaphore2005-02-5] "Semaphore: February 2005".Semaphore magazine.February 2005.Archivedfrom the original on 2018-10-25.Retrieved2018-10-24.The governments of a number of the Pacific island nations expressed their concern about the need for a suitable maritime patrol force to fulfil their new surveillance requirements. The Australian government responded by instituting a Defence Cooperation Project (DCP), to provide suitable patrol vessels and associated training and infrastructure to island nations in the region. The Pacific Patrol Boat Systems Program Office was created within the Minor War Vessels Branch of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) procurement organisation to manage the DCP[2] and to be the Project Authority.

[canterburyBoomen2017-6] Marcus Boomen (2017)."The Prospects of Developing War Crimes Databasing Projects: A Case Study of the Bougainville Conflict"(PDF).Canterbury University.Archived(PDF)from the original on 2018-02-16.Retrieved2018-10-24.The Papua New Guinea Defence Force – This is the military of PNGDF and identifies all uniformed soldiers as well as the naval and air assets. Their air force contains Australian-supplied UH-1 Iroquois helicopters, Pacific class patrol boats 1-4 HMPNGS Rabaul, Dreger, Seeadler and Moresby as well as Nomad light aircraft.

[eastasiaforum2018-10-20-7] Joanne Wallis (2018-10-20)."Australia steps up its Pacific pivot".East Asia Forum.Archivedfrom the original on 2018-10-25.Retrieved2018-10-24.A particularly well received aspect of the Defence Cooperation Program is the Pacific Patrol Boat Program. While the program has faced challenges in the past, these have been outweighed by its benefits, both to recipient states and Australia. Australia was right to build on the existing program with the Pacific Maritime Security Program, which will see new boats supplied to the region as well as a commitment to provide personnel and sustainment over 30 years.

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