HMAS Glenelg (II)

Armidale Class Patrol Boats

HMAS Glenelg was the fourteenth of 14 Armidale class patrol boats constructed for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). It was built by Austal Ships at Henderson, Western Australia, as part of a $553 million contract between the federal government and Defence Maritime Services.

The Armidale class vessels continued the legacy of service established by the RAN’s former Attack and Fremantle class patrol boats. The larger, more capable ACPBs were characterised by good seakeeping qualities, improved range and endurance, as well as hosting a state-of-the-art surveillance system. They contributed significantly over the last two decades to myriad border protection and maritime security operations, both in Australian waters and throughout the south-west Pacific.

HMAS Glenelg at anchor in Fairfax Harbour, Port Moresby, prior to commencing a maritime security patrol in support of APEC 2018.

Commissioning

After conducting trials in what would become its homeport of Darwin, HMAS Glenelg (II) proceeded to Port Adelaide, where it was commissioned into the RAN on 22 February 2008 under the Command of Lieutenant Commander N.J. Watson RAN. Among the guests present at the ceremony was the Governor of South Australia, Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce RAN (ret’d), then Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Russ Shalders AO, CSC, RAN, Commander Australian Fleet Rear Admiral Nigel Coates AM, RAN, Border Protection Commander Rear Admiral James Goldrick AM, CSC, RAN, and as Guest of Honour and Ship’s Sponsor; Mrs Dianne Millington, daughter of HMAS Glenelg (I) veteran Arthur Brierley. Included in the more traditional aspects of the ceremony was the presentation of the Freedom of Entry Scroll by the Mayor of Holdfast Bay (Glenelg) and a steaming ensign from the corvette HMAS Glenelg (I).

Roles and Operations

Glenelg’s primary role was the execution of constabulary and surveillance operations in Australia’s northern waters. Glenelg was first assigned to Operation RESOLUTE, the Australian Defence Force operation to protect Australia’s borders and offshore maritime interests, in March 2008. It diligently contributed in that capacity for over 14 years.

Throughout its commission, Glenelg conducted innumerable intercept, control and transport operations of both Foreign Fishing Vessels and Suspected Irregular Entry Vessels. On several occasions members of Glenelg’s ship’s company risked their own safety to rescue people at sea whose own vessels had sunk or were in distress. Glenelg also regularly conducted patrols of oil and gas installations in northern Australian waters and was used as a training platform for RAN members.

More recently Glenelg was a regular contributor to operations designed to limit illegal fishing in the region, with 2021 seeing Glenelg take part in Operation JAWLINE, Operation SOLANIA and Operation ISLAND CHIEF. Glenelg also contributed to multinational operations, participating in Operation AUGURY, part of Australia’s efforts to counter terrorism and violent extremist organisations around the world, with Philippine naval units in 2018.

Regional Engagement

Against the backdrop of its operational commitments, Glenelg was a regular participant in diplomatic, ceremonial and commemorative events. Glenelg was highly engaged with the community during its service, providing an RAN presence for Anzac Day commemorations in areas as diverse as Broome, Tennant Creek, Christmas Island and Darwin and participating in a Freedom of Entry March in its namesake suburb of Glenelg, South Australia in 2008.

Glenelg visited numerous ports in nations throughout Asia and the Pacific including Dili, Singapore, Langkawi, Phuket, Kota Kinabalu, Puerto Princesa, Colombo, Port Blair, Port Klang, Bali, Cebu, Madang and Port Vila. It also participated in the multinational Exercise MILAN held in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 2010, as well as various passage exercises with units from foreign navies including the Philippines, Fiji and Vanuatu.

Glenelg took part in a number of fleet exercises in Australian waters including Exercise KAKADU in 2016 and 2018, Exercise CASSOWARY with naval units from Indonesia in 2016 and Exercise PARADISE in 2018, with units of the Papua New Guinea Navy, designed to enhance interoperability between the two nations’ defence forces.

For many years the Armidale class patrol boats were crewed by RAN personnel drawn from multiple patrol boat crews, before reverting to a more conventional single crew arrangement on 24 August 2015. During that time, many hundreds of officers and sailors served in HMAS Glenelg developing a strong affiliation with the ship.

HMAS Glenelg decommissioned on 6 October 2022 after more than 14 years of service.