CIPPB Te Kukupa II
 Nafanua II, a sister ship to Te Kukupa II
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Cook Islands | |
| Name | Te Kukupa II |
| Builder | Austal |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Guardian-class patrol boat |
| Length | 39.5 m (130 ft) |
| Beam | 8 m (26 ft) |
| Draft | 2.5 ft (0.76 m) |
| Propulsion | 2 × Caterpillar 3516C diesels, 2 shafts |
| Speed | 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) |
| Range | 3,000 nautical miles (5,600 km; 3,500 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) |
| Armament | Australia provides the ships without armament, but they are designed to be able to mount heavy machine guns, or an autocannon of up to 30mm on the foredeck |
Te Kukupa II is a Guardian-class patrol boat being built in Australia for the Cook Islands.[1] It will replace the original Te Kukupa, supplied to the Cook Islands three decades earlier. Her crew will be drawn from the Cook Islands Police Service.
Australia supplied 22 Pacific Forum-class patrol boats to 12 of its smaller Pacific Forum allies when the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea established that maritime nations controlled an economic exclusion zone 200 kilometres (120 mi) off their coasts.
Design
Australia designed the vessels to use commercial off the shelf components, rather than cutting edge military grade components, to make it easier to maintain the vessels in small, isolated shipyards. The vessels have a maximum speed of 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph), and have a complement of approximately 20 crewmembers. They are able to launch and retrieve a pursuit boat from a stern launching ramp without requiring bringing the vessel to a halt.[2]
Operational history
Te Kukupa II was launched in January 2022.[1][3] It will be formally handed over to the Cook islands at the end of April 2022, and arrive in Rarotonga in June.[1]
References
- ^ a b c "New police patrol boat launched". Cook Islands News. 22 January 2022. Archived from the original on 23 January 2022. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
{{cite web}}:|archive-date=/|archive-url=timestamp mismatch; 22 January 2022 suggested (help) - ^ "Austal Launches 15th Guardian-class Patrol Boat Te Kukupa II for Cook Island". Military Leak. 22 January 2022. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
- ^ "Austal launches 15th Guardian-class patrol boat Te Kukupa II for Australia". Navy Recognition. 19 January 2022. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
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