The first of six Arafura-class offshore patrol vessels (OPV) built by Luerssen Australia, a subsidiary of the NVL Group, was delivered to the Australian Ministry of Defence. Canberra signed a contract with the German shipbuilder in 2018 as part of the SEA 1180 project. The agreement calls for the lead vessel, the NUSHIP Arafura, to be built beginning in November 2018 and launched in December 2021. The first OPV will be delivered to its homeport at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia, where it will go through additional testing and evaluation before being given to the Royal Australian Navy later this year.
