The first of a new fleet of patrol boats destined for Australia's Pacific neighbours has been launched by Australian shipbuilder Austal.
The company was awarded government contracts worth a total of $335 million to build 21 ships for 12 Pacific countries as part of Australia's ongoing Pacific Patrol Boat program.
Austal chief executive David Singleton said on Wednesday the construction program was progressing well, with two more vessels currently being built and construction to start on a fourth boat in June.
"This program will support 200 direct jobs at Austal and a further 200 indirect jobs in the broader Australian industry," Mr Singelton said.
Construction is based at Austal's Henderson shipyard in Western Australia.
The boats created under the Pacific Patrol Boat program are to be used by countries for maritime surveillance and fisheries protection
The program was started by the Hawke government in the 1980s to strengthen patrolling of maritime borders in the Pacific and crack down on illegal fishing.
Countries including Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Tonga and the Solomon Islands were supplied with vessels.
The first of the new patrol boats will be delivered to Papua New Guinea in October, with the construction program running until 2023.
