Sentinel Boats awarded Special Operations RHIB contract
Tasmanian boat builder Sentinel Boats has won an important Defence contract to deliver up to seven general purpose watercraft for Australia’s elite Special Operations Forces.
The contract is for the latest evolution of Sentinel Boats’ 830R vessel, namely a single point lift (SPL) variation of this high-performance rigid hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) designed for Defence, law enforcement and rescue operations.
CEO George McGuire said the contract was not only a great vote of confidence in Sentinel Boats, but also in Australian design and manufacturing capabilities.
“It will help create more skilled jobs, secure our national sovereign defence capability, and play a small part in turning around our nation’s declining manufacturing sector,” he said.
Like all Sentinel vessels, the 830R-SPL is made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE), a unique boat building material that offers superior performance, crew safety, is incredibly durable and can absorb impacts that would render other vessels inoperable. It can also be quickly repaired in the field, removing operational downtime.
“It’s a proud day for Sentinel Boats,” Mr McGuire said. “We’ll initially provide two 830R-SPL watercraft to Special Operations Command later this year.
“The 830R was first developed as a high-performance police vessel. The next rear console variant was focussed on military/para-military operations, including boarding operations. These vessels were exported to Ukrainian Armed Forces through Australia’s military gifting program, as well as being used by Defence.
“Now the latest variant, the 830R-SPL, will enter service with Australia’s elite Special Operations command for use across a wide range of training and operational scenarios.”
The 830R-SPL builds on previous generations of the 830R to feature:
- Integrated Henriksen lifting and painter hooks, allowing it to be launched and recovered from a parent ship while it is underway,
- Pneumatic “D” collar that allows a larger cargo area and three-abreast seating. This provides greater operational flexibility including the operation of autonomous systems, and
- The self-righting capability developed for Sentinel Boats’ contract to provide a new fleet of sea boats for the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN).
Sentinel Boats is a world-leader in advanced tactical craft manufactured from HDPE. Their award-winning vessels are entirely Australian designed and manufactured together with One2three Naval Architects. Sentinels are in service across Australia and the world.
Sentinel Boats won the Defence Award at the Australian Manufacturing Awards last October. They are producing 17 Sentinel 780Rs for the RNZN and were named NZ prime contractor of the year in 2023 for the delivery of high-speed Sentinel 1250 Littoral Manoeuvre Craft (LMCs) to the RNZN.
The current 830R