Australia hands over second Guardian-class patrol boat to Solomon Islands
10 May 2021
by Gabriel Dominguez
Australia has handed over the second and final Guardian-class patrol boat built for the government of the Solomon Islands.
The vessel, which has been named RSIPV
Taro (pennant number 06), was formally accepted by the High Commissioner for Solomon Islands, Robert Sisilo, in a ceremony held on 7 May at the facilities of shipbuilder Austal in Henderson, Western Australia. The move follows the handover of the first boat, RSIPV
Gizo (05), in November 2019.
Taro is the 10th of the 21 boats of the class being given by Canberra to 12 Pacific Island nations and Timor-Leste as part of Australia’s Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement (also known as Sea 3036) programme.
Department of Defence
Australia and Solomon Islands’ strong and enduring security partnership has reached another milestone today as Solomon Islands received its second Guardian-class Patrol Boat under Australia’s Pacific Maritime Security Program.
The High Commissioner for Solomon Islands, His Excellency Mr Robert Sisilo, accepted RSIPV Taro on behalf of the Solomon Islands Government at a ceremony in Henderson, Western Australia.
Head of Navy Engineering, Rear Admiral Katherine Richards, AM, CSC, RAN said Australia and Solomon Islands have a long history of close security cooperation, based on a shared vision for a secure and prosperous Pacific.
“The new Guardian-class Patrol Boats play an important role in tackling our shared regional security challenges, and the delivery of RSIPV Taro is a significant milestone,” Rear Admiral Richards said.
A retired British newspaperman, he founded the Apostrophe Protection Society to guard against the erosion of a humble yet essential element of the English language.
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