RMIS Jelmae
The RMIS Jelmae is the 23rd and final Guardian class patrol vessel that Australia built for its neighbours in the Pacific Forum.[1] She was given to the Marshall Islands, replacing the RMIS Lomor, which had been in service since 1991.
Background
[edit | edit source]Following the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea extension of maritime nations' exclusive economic zones to 200 kilometres (108 nmi) Australia agreed to provide twelve of its neighbours with twenty-two Pacific Forum-class patrol vessels, so they could exercise sovereignty over their own territory, using their own resources.[2] The first vessel was delivered in 1987, and in 2015 Australia announced plans to replace the original patrol boats with larger and more capable vessels.
Design
[edit | edit source]Australian ship builder Austal won the $335 million Australian dollar contract for the project, and built the vessels at its Henderson shipyard, near Perth.[3] Guardian class vessels were designed to use commercial off-the-shelf components, not cutting edge, military grade equipment, to make them easier to maintain in small isolated shipyards.[4]
The vessels are 39.5 metres (130 ft) long, can travel 3,000 nautical miles (5,600 km) at 12 knots.[3] Their maximum speed is 20 knots.[5] Their design allows the recipient nations to mount a pair of heavy machine guns, on either flank, and possibly an autocannon of up to 30mm, on the foredeck.
Operational career
[edit | edit source]The Jelmae was formally handed over to her first Marshall Island's crew on January 31, 2026.[1][6]
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1
"Australia delivers Guardian-class Patrol Boat to Marshall Islands". Asia Pacific Defense Review. 2026-01-31. Retrieved 2026-02-01.
The Marshall Islands has taken delivery of a new Guardian-class Patrol Boat, RMIS Jelmae, in a ceremony at HMAS Stirling, Western Australia. The Foreign Minister of the Republic of the Marshall Islands Kalani Kaneko, received the vessel on behalf of the government of the Marshall Islands.
- ↑
"PAPUA NEW GUINEA (PNG)" (PDF). Australian government. 2014-04-03. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
Help develop the PNGDF’s capacity to secure its borders, contribute to United Nations (UN) and multilateral peacekeeping missions, and cooperate with the ADF in areas such as disaster relief.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1
Hamish Hastie (2018-05-30). "Wrapped up with a bow: First Pacific patrol boat hits the water". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
The $335 million Pacific patrol boat program was awarded to Austal in 2016 and will see 21 'Guardian Class' boats built in WA and gifted to 12 Pacific Island countries and East Timor as part of the Pacific maritime security program.
- ↑
Erwan Halna du Fretay. "Australia Delivers Guardian-Class Patrol Boat to Marshall Islands to Boost Pacific Maritime Security". Defense News security global military army equipment industry. Archived from the original on 2026-02-01. Retrieved 2026-02-01.
For Canberra, the Pacific Maritime Security Program strengthens interoperability and trust with partner forces, while helping shape regional norms around lawful maritime governance. In an Indo-Pacific environment marked by sharper competition, these patrol boat deliveries contribute to a security ecosystem where small states retain agency, maritime boundaries are monitored more effectively, and external coercion becomes harder to apply quietly.
- ↑
Gabriel Dominguez (2018-12-03). "Papua New Guinea receives first Guardian-class patrol boat". Jane's Defence Weekly. London. Archived from the original on 2018-12-03. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
The steel-hulled boat was built with space and weight considerations for a 30 mm naval gun as a primary weapon, as well as port and starboard mounts for 12.7 mm general-purpose machine guns.
- ↑
"New patrol boat given to RMI". The Marshall Islands Journal. 2026-02-05. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
The Marshall Islands late last week took delivery of a new Guardian-class Patrol Boat, RMIS Jelmae, in a ceremony at HMAS Stirling, Western Australia.