VIDEO: Trinidad and Tobago takes delivery of Austal patrol boats

TTS Port of Spain (CG41) and TTS Scarborough (CG42) at the Austal Australia shipyard in Henderson, Western Australia. (Image: Austal)

Austal Australia has delivered two 58-meter Cape-class Patrol Boats to the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard (TTCG).

The patrol boats, TTS Port of Spain (CG41) and TTS Scarborough (CG42), were accepted by Lt. Com. Francise Paulette Cazoe of the TTCG, at a delivery ceremony held at Austal Australia’s Henderson, Western Australia shipyard today.

At the delivery ceremony, Austal Limited CEO Paddy Gregg said the two patrol boats were the first Cape-class vessels manufactured by Austal to be exported, following the delivery of ten similar vessels to the Australian Border Force and Royal Australian Navy over the past decade.

“The Cape-class is Austal Australia’s signature patrol boat design, with twelve vessels now delivered and a further six under construction at our dedicated defense shipbuilding facility in Henderson,” Gregg said.

“The Trinidad and Tobago Government is delighted to accept these impressive new Cape-class Patrol Boats, that will significantly enhance our operational capability in Trinidad and Tobago,” Lt Cdr Cazoe said. “The Austal Australia team have been very professional, supportive and efficient throughout the design and construction process and we thank them for their outstanding effort over the past two challenging years.”

The TTCG’s Cape-class Patrol Boats are based on the proven 58-meter monohull vessels operating with the Australian Border Force and Royal Australian Navy, with a number of design customizations to meet TTCG mission requirements, including additional armament placements and crew accommodations for up to 27 persons.

Both TTS Port of Spain and TTS Scarborough are capable of patrols up to 28 days, with a range of over 3,000 nautical miles and a top speed in excess of 25 knots. Each vessel carries two 7.3 meters rigid hull inflatable boats that may be deployed while underway, for a variety of missions.

Austal is also delivering 21 steel-hull Guardian-class Patrol Boats for 12 Pacific Island nations and Timor Leste under the SEA3036-1 Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement Project, with ten patrol boats delivered since 2018.

Austal provides in-service support to both the Cape and Guardian-class Patrol Boat fleets through an expanding service center network including Henderson, Western Australia, Cairns, Queensland and Darwin, Northern Territory.