Marine Unit (Australian Border Force)

Cape-class patrol boat ABFC Cape St George in Darwin Harbour

ABFC Ocean Shield

The Marine Unit, formerly the Australian Customs Service National Marine Unit, is a division of the Australian Border Force which acts as a Coast Guard in guarding Australia's coast. The Marine Unit focuses on surveillance and response activities within the Australian Economic Exclusion Zone (EEZ), and the operation and training of ships and crews to do so.

Operations[]

The CMU and the Border Protection Division (formerly known as Coastwatch) make up the Customs contribution to Maritime Border Command, a joint command with the Australian Defence Force and incorporating assets from the Australian Fisheries Management Authority, the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, and state-level agencies. Maritime Border Command is responsible for protecting Australia's maritime areas, offshore assets, and external territories from threats, including the exploitation of natural resources, people smuggling, importation or exportation of drugs and other illegal items, piracy, and terrorism.

Current Ships[]

ABFC Ocean Shield is a 110.9-metre (364 ft) offshore patrol vessel which entered service in June 2012 and is as sister ship to ADV Ocean Protector. ^[1]

ABFC Thaiyak is a 40-metre (130 ft) vessel delivered in June 2014 ^[2] intended to replace the ACV Ashmore Guardian. In addition, charter arrangements give Customs access to an additional twenty vessels of various sizes and types; these are called on when required to transport apprehended foreign fishermen and illegal entrants, or tow captured vessels.

Ships operated by the CMU were referred to as Australian Customs Vessels (ACVs) until the creation of Australian Border Force in 2015 when the prefix of vessels operated by the CMU was changed to Australian Border Force Cutter (ABFC).

List of current vessels ^[3]

• ABFC Ocean Shield

• ABFC Thaiyak

8 Cape class patrol boats

• ABFC Cape St. George
• ABFC Cape Byron
• ABFC Cape Nelson
• ABFC Cape Sorell
• ABFC Cape Jervis
• ABFC Cape Leveque
• ABFC Cape Wessel
• ABFC Cape York

Former Ships[]

• 6 Bay-class patrol boats. 4 Bay-class patrol boats have been gifted to the Sri Lankan Navy and Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency. ^[4][5]

• ACV Triton

• ACV Ashmore Guardian

• MV Oceanic Viking

References[]

• "Govt to buy new border patrol vessels". Australian Security Magazine. 23 June 2010. Archived from the original on 4 March 2011. Retrieved 16 July 2010.
• Parnell, Sean (26 July 2010). "Navy and Customs vessels cut back on border patrols". The Australian. Retrieved 5 November 2010.

External links[]

• ABF Maritime Border Command Patrol vessels