HMAS Bathurst (II)

Commissioned on 10 February 2006, HMAS Bathurst is an Armidale Class patrol boat built by Austal Ships, Fremantle. Armidale Class patrol boats are highly capable and versatile warships which are able to conduct a wide variety of missions and tasks.

Armidale Class and Cape Class patrol boats are Navy's principal contribution to the nation's fisheries protection, immigration, customs and law enforcement operations. The vessels work hand-in-hand with other government agencies as part of the Australian Border Force. In the event of war they would be tasked to control the waters close to the Australian mainland. The Armidale Class provides Navy with an improved capability to intercept and apprehend vessels in a greater range of sea conditions than the earlier patrol boat classes, Fremantle and Attack.

Patrol boats are a primary enabler of the Australian Defence Force contribution to Operation Sovereign Borders, a whole of government effort to protect Australia's borders and offshore interests. In association with Border Force, Australian Fisheries and Australian Federal Police, these operations protect against:

• unauthorised entry
• breaches of customs, immigration and drugs legislation
• illegal activity
• risks to the integrity of national fish-stocks, marine environment and other natural resources.

When protecting Australia’s borders, crews are employed on a range of constabulary duties involving tracking, intercepting, stopping and boarding other vessels, and sometimes arresting their crews and seizing cargo.