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Samoan patrol vessel Nafanua II

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Nafanua II
History
Samoa
NameNafanua II
BuilderAustal
Commissioned16 August 2019
Identification
FateDamaged beyond repair after running aground.
Statusout of service
General characteristics
Class and typeGuardian-class patrol boat
Length39.5 m (129 ft 7 in)
Beam8 m (26 ft 3 in)
Draft0.76 m (2.5 ft)
Propulsion2 × Caterpillar 3516C diesels, 2 shafts
Speed20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Range3,000 nmi (5,600 km; 3,500 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
ArmamentAustralia provides the ships without armament, but they are designed to be able to mount heavy machine guns, or an autocannon of up to 30 mm on the foredeck

Nafanua II (04) was a Guardian-class patrol boat built in Australia for Samoa.[1][2] It replaced the original Nafanua, supplied to Samoa three decades earlier. Her crew were drawn from the Samoan Police Force.[3]

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

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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 to 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.

On 2 April 2019, Police Commissioner Fuiavailili Egon Keil hinted that keeping her crew safe might require installing a deck gun.[4] Australia designed the vessels to be capable of mounting secondary machine guns, and a primary weapon of up to 30 millimeters (1.18 inches) in caliber. Australia delivered the vessels complete, except for armament, and the original Nafanua and her sister ships were armed only with small arms.

Nafanua II was the first Samoan patrol vessel with a mixed gender crew.[5]

Operational history

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Manufacturer Austal handed Nafanua II over to Samoan representatives at its plant in Henderson, Western Australia, on 16 August 2019.[3][6][7] Present at the handover ceremony, representing Samoa, were Fiame Naomi Mata'afa, and Fuivaili’ili Egon Keil, Samoa's Deputy Prime Minister and Commissioner of Police. Representing Australia were Linda Reynolds and Melissa Price, Minister for Defence and Minister for Defence Industry.

Samoa agreed that Nafanua II would cooperate under the Niue Treaty Subsidiary Agreement to conduct fishery surveillance as it transited Australian waters, on its first voyage to Samoa, even though she had yet to be officially commissioned.[7] Nafanua II arrived in Apia on 4 October 2019.[8]

On 5 August 2021 the vessel ran aground on a reef near Salelologa wharf while transporting police officers to Savai'i to manage a protest.[9] It was successfully salvaged on 15 September and loaded onto a barge for transport to Australia.[10] The commander of the vessel, Superintendent Taito Sefo Hunt, was subsequently charged with five counts of misconduct.[11] A hearing into the charges by the police disciplinary tribunal began on 4 November 2021.[12] On 21 December 2021 the officer-in-charge of the ship at the time of the accident, Superintendent Hunt, was found guilty on three charges of negligence by a police disciplinary tribunal.[13] On 4 January he was fined $2,000 tala and demoted from superintendent to corporal.[14]

On 5 March 2022 the Samoa Observer reported that the vessel was "beyond economical repair".[15]

Replacement

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In March 2022 the Japanese government offered to fund a smaller vessel to enable maritime patrols until a decision on a permanent replacement was made.[16] The vessel, Tilafaiga, arrived in June 2023.[17]

On 2 June 2022 Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced that the Australian government would gift Samoa two replacement patrol ships.[18][19] The first replacement, Nafanua III, will be delivered in November 2023.[20]

References

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  1. ^ Sapeer Mayron (15 August 2018). "Maritime police get $113,535 boost". Samoa Observer. Archived from the original on 18 August 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2018. The change rooms are a necessary addition because in August 2019, the wing will receive an Australian government-funded Guardian Class Patrol Boat, which will be used by both male and female police.
  2. ^ Adel Fruean (28 January 2019). "New patrol boat to boost maritime security". Samoa Observer. Archived from the original on 7 February 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2019. Under the Pacific Maritime Security Programme, Samoa will this year receive the Nafanua II – a bigger, more capable patrol boat – to enhance Samoa's capacity to secure its ocean resources and maritime domain.
  3. ^ a b Ridzwan Rahmat (16 August 2019). "Australia hands over Guardian-class patrol vessel to Samoa". Jane's Navy International. Singapore. Retrieved 16 August 2019. Nafanua II will be operated by the Police Maritime Wing of the Samoan Police Service. The vessel is part of the Australian government's Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement (SEA 3036) programme, which will see the donation of 21 new patrol vessels to 12 Pacific Island countries, and Timor-Leste.
  4. ^ "Samoa police patrol boat may be armed". Radio New Zealand. 2 April 2019. Archived from the original on 2 April 2019. Retrieved 2 April 2019. The service will take delivery of a new state-of-the-art patrol boat, Nafanua II, in September and the Police Commissioner Fuiavailili Egon Keil wants to keep an eye on how the future shapes up with their surveillance work.
  5. ^ "Samoa Police farewell 30-year-old patrol boat from Australia". Radio New Zealand. 13 June 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2019. The new patrol boat, Nafanua II, will for the first time include three women sailors.
  6. ^ "Samoa receives Guardian-class Patrol Boat". Mirage News. Henderson, Australia. 16 August 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2019. The Australian Government has today handed over the newest Guardian-class Patrol Boat Nafanua II to the Samoan Government at a ceremony in Henderson, Western Australia. Nafanua II was received by Samoa's Deputy Prime Minister the Honourable Fiame Naomi Mata'afa and the Commissioner of Police Mr Fuivaili'ili Egon Keil.
  7. ^ a b "Samoa Receives Guardian Class Patrol Boat Nafanua II". Samoa Global News. 17 August 2019. Retrieved 17 August 2019. The Government of Australia handed over the newest Guardian-class Patrol Boat Nafanua II to the Samoan Government at a ceremony in Henderson, Western Australia yesterday.
  8. ^ "New patrol boat arrives in Samoa". Radio New Zealand. 7 October 2019. Retrieved 7 October 2019. The $US30 million guardian class boat arrived at Matautu wharf on Friday.
  9. ^ Matai'a Lanuola Tusani T - Ah Tong (5 August 2021). "Nafanua II runs aground in Savai'i waters". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  10. ^ Matai'a Lanuola Tusani T - Ah Tong (15 September 2021). "Nafanua II salvage success". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  11. ^ Matai'a Lanuola Tusani T - Ah Tong (3 September 2021). "Nafanua skipper hit with five charges". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  12. ^ Matai'a Lanuola Tusani T - Ah Tong (4 November 2011). "Hearing into Nafanua II incident begins". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  13. ^ Matai'a Lanuola Tusani T - Ah Tong (21 December 2021). "Nafanua II captain found guilty of negligence". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  14. ^ Matai'a Lanuola Tusani T - Ah Tong (7 January 2022). "Nafanua II captain fined, demoted". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  15. ^ Sialai Sarafina Sanerivi (5 March 2022). "Nafanua II "beyond economical repair": Australia, Samoa Governments". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  16. ^ Sialai Sarafina Sanerivi (22 March 2022). "Japan offers to buy vessel to secure Samoa's borders". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  17. ^ Sialai Sarafina Sanerivi (13 June 2023). "New patrol boat Tilafaiga unveiled". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  18. ^ Matai'a Lanuola Tusani T - Ah Tong (2 June 2022). "Australia to replace Nafanua II patrol boat". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  19. ^ "Penny Wong announces eight-year partnership with Samoa, donation of new patrol boat". ABC. 2 June 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  20. ^ Alexander Rheeney (3 March 2023). "Replacement patrol boat ready in November". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
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