Royal Australian Navy commissions two new patrol boats

The Royal Australian Navy Evolved Cape-class patrol boats HMAS Cape Spencer (left) and HMAS Cape Hawke – Department of Defence

Will Xavier – Published on: 03 Sep 2026, 2:16 pm

The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has commissioned the final two of ten Evolved Cape-class patrol boats built for the service by local shipyard Austal.

HMAS Cape Spencer and HMAS Cape Hawke each have an LOA of 57.8 metres, a beam of 10.3 metres, a draught of approximately three metres, and accommodation for 32 crewmembers and other personnel.

Austal said the Evolved Cape-class boats were built with a number of enhancements over the baseline Cape-class patrol boats.

The enhancements will improve operational capability and crew capacity compared to the vessels already operated by the RAN and the Australian Border Force (ABF).

Like their baseline Cape-class sisters, the Evolved Cape-class boats were built for sustained operations lasting a maximum of 28 days or covering a range of 4,000 nautical miles in conditions up to Sea State four.

They have also retained the baseline Cape-class boats’ standard armament of two pintle-mounted 12.7mm machine guns.

The RAN will use the Evolved Capes in constabulary operations, enforcing Australian sovereign immigration and fisheries laws. They will be maintained at the Regional Maintenance Centre North East in Cairns.

Two more Evolved Cape-class boats slated for the ABF are under construction at Austal’s Western Australia facilities.