Media Release

HALF-LIFE REFIT OF SAVEA COMPLETED

A ceremony will be held on Friday 6 August 1999 at the Port Macquarie Slipways to mark the successful completion of the half-life refit of the Tongan Pacific Patrol Boat VOEA Savea and its return to Tonga.

The Savea is one of 22 boats built in Australia between 1987 and 1997 as part of the Pacific Patrol Boat project which is Australia's largest and most successful Defence cooperation project. The boats were provided to 12 Pacific Forum countries under Australia's Defence Cooperation program to enable Forum countries to manage and police the resources within their extensive Exclusive Economic Zones, as well as undertake sovereignty protection, search and rescue and disaster relief tasks.

The Savea is the 13^th of the 22 boats to undergo a half-life refit which includes ultrasound and x-ray examination of the boat before any structural repairs are done, upgrading essential equipment such as the radar, internal and external repainting and a complete overhaul of the engines and machinery.

“The half-life refit is particularly important as it ensures the boats are maintained in peak condition to enable Pacific nations to continue to carry out the important task of protecting their 200 mile exclusive economic zones and their fishing resources,” Lieutenant Commander Tony Deacon, Director of the project said.

“The project's success has been based on Australia's ability to provide not just the boats but training for the crews, the half-life refits and through-life logistic and technical support through the Follow-On Support Agency,” LCDR Deacon said.

“Although the project is funded by the International Policy Division under the Defence Cooperation Program, the boats are owned by each Pacific nation who operate and maintain them using their own crews.”

“Senior members of the Tongan crew have also been working on their boat along with the Port Macquarie Slipway crew during the three-month refit process,” LCDR Deacon said. “This has been a very positive experience for everyone involved and especially for the local Port Macquarie community.”

The Savea will return to Tonga with its own crew after the refit is completed. The refits are carried out in build order and the Lomor from the Marshall Islands will be the 14^th boat to undergo a refit starting in September.

For further information contact:
LCDR Tony Deacon, Director, Pacific Patrol Boat Project
Tel: 02 6265 2792 mobile 0412 192 946

Issued by the Defence Public Affairs Organisation, Department of Defence, Canberra, ACT, 2600

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