Australia stands watch in the Southern Ocean with launch of Ocean Protector

The multirole capabilities of ACV Ocean Protector, the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service's (ACBPS's) new patrol ship, were amply demonstrated within a month of its commissioning when it interdicted alleged drug smugglers off Queensland, intercepted asylum seekers near Christmas Island and commenced its first deployment in the extreme conditions of the Southern Ocean.

Although chartered by the ACBPS, tasking of the 8,500-ton Ocean Protector is the responsibility of Border Protection Command (BPC), the overarching operational authority that provides security for Australia's offshore maritime areas.

BPC is able to call on a wide range of ACBPS and Australian Defence Force (ADF) vessels and aircraft to monitor an area that covers about 10 per cent of the world's surface and includes several exclusive economic zones (EEZs) that extend up to 200 n miles around the mainland and the Christmas, Cocos, Keeling, Norfolk, Heard, Macquarie and Lord Howe islands.

As well as Ocean Protector, ACBPS assets include eight 38 m Bay-class patrol vessels, the 98 m ex-UK Ministry of Defence research trimaran Triton, the 35 m patrol vessel Ashmore Guardian and 10 Bombardier Dash 8 surveillance aircraft.

BPC also has assigned to it several Royal Australian Air Force AP-3C Orion aircraft that provide aerial surveillance of the country's northern and northwestern approaches; at least seven Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Armidale-class patrol craft operating daily in northern waters; Australian Army Regional Force Surveillance Unit patrols conducting land-based security operations; and a standby RAN major fleet unit for northern waters response.

However, Ocean Protector and its crew will single-handedly provide a patrol service for up to 120 days in the Southern Ocean in 2010-11, facing temperatures averaging minus 2 degrees centigrade and seas of up to 15 m. This is a continuation of the Southern Ocean Maritime Patrol and Response (SOMPR) programme that began in 2004 primarily to protect the Patagonian Toothfish fisheries in the 250,000 n mile² Australian EEZs surrounding Heard Island, Macquarie Island and the McDonald Islands.