By David Sibley
Navy
will receive two more Armidaleclass patrol boats to protect the
North-West Shelf’s oil and gas facilities. The increase from 12
to 14 new patrol boats part of a $139.3 million package announced
in the Federal Budget on May 10. This funding package also provides
for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) trials in a a long-duration
surveillance mission.
“The
patrol boats will enable the Navy to provide dedicated surveillance
and monitor- the North West Shelf to protect strategic national
assets as well as an enhanced capability to respond to potential
threats, including terrorist attacks,” Defence threats, ” Defence
Minister Robert Hill said.
“The patrol boats will work out of either Dampier or Port Hedland
with the funding also providing facilities to accommodate three
also providing facilities to accommodate three crews at the selected
homeport as well as through life support, and repair and maintenance
of the patrol boats,” he said.
Senator Hill said a capability trial to assess trial to assess
the maritime surveillance potential of UAVs and their ability
to operate in conjunction with the patrol boats would also be
undertaken.
The trial would test the UAVs’ ability to The trial would test
the UAVs’ ability to effectively monitor offshore activities and
contribute to the security and defence of the North West Shelf’s
assets and other maritime envi- ronments.
The two new patrol boats are part of the extra $507.3 million
for Defence this financial year as a result of the Federal Budget,increasing
the overall Defence budget to $17.5 billion for 2005-06.
The Budget provided a further $2.3 billion in White Paper funding,
building on the $4 billion in increased funding already provided
by the Government from 2001 and maintaining the Defence expenditure
at about 1.9 per cent of Gross Domestic Product.
Other commitments include Australia’s contribution to the rehabilitation
of Iraq with an additional $466.1 million, including $240 over
four years (including $24.8 mil- million over four years in 2004-2005)
to meet the cost of the deployment of the Al Muthanna Task Group
to Iraq.
In addition, a total of $246.5 million has been committed for
a range of security-related projects, including:
