Austal 22m Police Patrol Boats

The Queensland Police Service operates three 22m catamaran police boats. Image courtesy of Austal.

The New South Wales Police, Australia received two 22m police patrol vessels in 2000. Image courtesy of Austal.

The 22m police patrol boat is powered by two MAN D2842 LE408 engines. Image courtesy of Austal.

Three 22m personnel transport patrol boats are in service with the Kuwait Coast Guard. Image courtesy of Austal.

The 22m personnel transport patrol boat offers a maximum speed of 25kt. Image courtesy of Austal.

The patrol vessel can be deployed to perform marine search-and-rescue, maritime safety, surveillance, law enforcement and public order missions. It can execute patrol duties for about ten days and is capable of operating in all weather conditions.

The vessel can carry a 4.5m semi-inflatable daughter vessel to execute general transport and patrol missions.

Orders and deliveries of the 22m police patrol boats

The New South Wales Police received two 22m police patrol vessels from Austal in July 2000. The naming ceremony, however, took place in August 2000. The vessels enhance the authority’s maritime security, and search and rescue operations.

Design and features

The Austal 22m patrol vessel features warped planning mono-hull made of aluminium alloy superstructure for achieving lighter weight. The vessels offer superior performance and require less maintenance.

The vessel has an overall length of 21.2m and waterline length of 17.9m. The moulded beam and depths are 5.5m and 3.3m, respectively. The maximum hull draft is 1.7m.

The police patrol vessel consists of three twin berth cabins and is manned by a crew of four. It can carry eight additional personnel. Each patrol boat is equipped with life jackets, two Solas life rafts and four Solas life buoys.

Communication systems aboard the 22m police patrol boats

The 22m police patrol vessels are equipped with Raytheon R1210/6XX radars, Nav 420 DGPS system, Electronic Chart Display, Saura Magnetic Compass and Raytheon L750 Echo Sounder.

Other electronic equipments include Satcomm satellite communications system and encrypted computer generated data and image transmission systems.

Engine and performance of 22m police patrol boat

The 22m police patrol boat is powered by two MAN D2842 LE408 engines. Each engine generates a power of 735kW at 2,100rpm. The propulsion system also consists of two ZF BW155 gear boxes and two fixed pitch, four-blade Teignbridge Aquaquad propellers.

The propulsion system provides a maximum speed of 28.5kt. The fuel consumption rate of the vessel is 0.35t/h and the range is 600nm at 20kts.

Austal 22m boat variants

The 22m personnel transport patrol variant is built by Image Marine, a subsidiary of Austal, for the Kuwait Coast Guard (KCG). The Government of Kuwait, Ministry of Interior placed an order with Austal in January 2003 to build three 22m personnel transport patrol boats. The deliveries were concluded in June 2004.

The vessel is manned by a crew of three and is capable of transporting up to 41 additional personnel. The seating area is located forward on the lower deck. The wheelhouse is placed atop the forecastle deck. It consists of a spacious bridge ahead of an amenities area. The bridge is fitted with forward raked windows. The design of the bridge provides 360° vision to the personnel.

The personnel transport patrol boat has an overall length of 21.6m and waterline length of 19.6m. The moulded beam and depth of the vessel are 6m and 3.6m respectively, while the maximum hull draft is 1.5m. The boat has a maximum speed of 25kt and range of 325nm.

The 22m boat is also produced in catamaran police patrol variant, which is designed by One2three Naval Architects in Sydney and constructed by Austal at Tasmanian shipyard. Austal secured an order from the Queensland Police Service in May 2008 to construct three 22m catamaran police boats. The first vessel was launched in February 2009 and the deliveries were concluded in June 2009.

The catamaran vessel can launch and retrieve a 6m rigid inflatable boat. It can patrol in remote, tropical locations for extended periods with a cruising speed of 20kt. The variant has a range of 900nm.