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86-700: The Pacific class (also known as the Pacific Forum class and the ASI 315 class ) is a class of 22 patrol boats built by Australia and donated to twelve South Pacific countries. The vessels were constructed between 1985 and 1997 and are operated by the militaries , coast guards or police forces of the twelve island nations. These boats are supported by the Pacific Patrol Boat Program and used primarily for maritime surveillance and fisheries protection. The United Nations Convention on

172-567: A beam of 8.1 metres (26 ft 7 in), a draught of 1.8 metres (5 ft 11 in), and a full load displacement of 162 tonnes. They are fitted with two Caterpillar 3516TA diesel engines , which provide 2,820 horsepower (2,100 kW) to two propeller shafts, driving the vessel at a maximum of 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph). Pacific-class vessels have a maximum range of 2,500 nautical miles (4,600 km; 2,900 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph), and can remain at sea for up to ten days. Armament varies depending on

258-415: A certain jurisdiction . They may be as large as a corvette or even a frigate , though the term may also be used for vessels as small as a yacht or rigid inflatable boat . They can include fast attack craft , torpedo boats , and missile boats . They may be broadly classified as inshore patrol vessels (IPVs) or offshore patrol vessels (OPVs). OPVs and medium size cutters are usually the smallest ship in

344-575: A contingent from the Army took part in fighting in the central sector; Kuwaiti participation was too small to have any significant impact; nevertheless, going from the principle of Arab solidarity, the various combat operational unit assets of the Kuwait Army exercised their principle of solidarity and completed their mission. The assembled Yarmouk Brigade participated on the Egyptian Front,

430-682: A crew transport. Six modified versions of the Pacific class were built for the Hong Kong Marine Police as the Protector class . The main difference is the installation of a pump-jet engine to supplement the main propulsion. A single navigation training vessel, Seahorse Mercator , was built for Defence Maritime Services in 1999 which operates the ship under contract to the Royal Australian Navy . Although

516-636: A hand-picked brigade from the Kuwait Armed Forces, mainly the elite of the Kuwait Army. Attached also to the elite brigade was Sheikh Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah as acting commander by delegation of the 2nd Commando Battalion of the Kuwait 25th Commando Brigade . In 1967 several Arab nations were at war with the State of Israel in the Six-Day War . Kuwait did not openly participate, but

602-540: A navy's fleet that are large and seaworthy enough to patrol off-shore in the open ocean , while IPVs are typically too small to do so and are instead kept in lakes or rivers , or close to coasts ; IPVs specifically used in rivers can also be called "riverine patrol vessels". Large patrol vessels, Heavy patrol vessels and Large cutters are the largest type of patrol ships and are typically more than 100 m (330 ft) in length. Seagoing patrol boats are typically around 30 m (100 ft) in length and usually carry

688-618: A new recipient. A request for tender was open to Australian shipbuilders on 5 March 2015, and concluded on 17 June. Tenderers are asked to submit proposals for a 40-metre (130 ft) steel-hull vessel with a range of 2,500 nautical miles (4,600 km; 2,900 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph), a top speed above 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph), and an operational endurance of 20 days. The replacement patrol boats must be designed to commercial standards and easy to maintain. They will not be constructed with weapons fitted, but must be capable of having them installed later. Operation of

774-635: A second generation of ships has been considered likely throughout the years, due to the benefits and capabilities provided to the operating nations, along with the work provided to the Australian shipbuilding industry. During the early 2000s, variants of the RAN's Armidale class or the RNZN's Protector class were considered appropriate, although there were concerns that such complex vessels would be too challenging and financially restrictive to maintain by some of

860-719: A single medium caliber artillery gun as main armament, and a variety of lighter secondary armament such as machine guns , while others include the sophisticated close-in weapon system . Depending on their role, vessels in this class may also have more sophisticated sensors and fire control systems that would enable them to carry torpedoes , anti-ship missiles , and surface-to-air missiles . During both World Wars, in order to rapidly build up numbers, all sides created auxiliary patrol boats by arming motorboats and seagoing fishing trawlers with machine guns and obsolete naval weapons. Some modern patrol vessels are still based on fishing and leisure boats. The United States Navy operated

946-633: The Pegasus class of armed hydrofoils for years in a patrol boat role. During the Vietnam War , the U.S. Navy ordered 193 aluminum hulled Patrol Craft, Fast (PCFs), also known as Swiftboats , for brown water naval operations. The Patrol Boat, River (PBR, sometimes called "Riverine" and "Pibber") was a fiberglass hulled vessel also designed and used for inland river operations during the Vietnam War, and became an icon of water operations during

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1032-623: The 1st Parachute Hussard Regiment , the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment , the 35th Parachute Artillery Regiment , the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment , others along with the 1st Foreign Regiment , the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment and the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment of the French Foreign Legion . The Multinational Force in Lebanon also included Italian paratroopers from the Folgore Brigade , infantry units from

1118-524: The Australian Maritime College (AMC) has increased the number of trained seafarers in the operating nations, improving the skill level of each nation's maritime sector. The Pacific Patrol Boat Program has also provided benefits to Australia and New Zealand. These nations enjoy an improved strategic presence in the region, and the naval advisors supplied to operating nations create personal networks within those nations, while improving

1204-788: The Bersaglieri regiments and Italian Marines of the San Marco Battalion . In the parallel diplomatical couloir of the United Nations peace initiative force and mainly at the level of leading Arab international diplomacy and humanitarianism ; the State of Kuwait support participated in bringing the Lebanese Civil War to a halt (1975–1990). A mission for this purpose was led by Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah , then Minister of Foreign Affairs of

1290-531: The Gulf War . After 62 years as a British protectorate, Kuwait declared independence in 1961. Iraq immediately claimed that Kuwait was actually an Iraqi province, and threatened to invade to implement the claim. Britain flew troops into the newly independent country to forestall Iraq, an operation called Operation Vantage . In 1961, Field Marshal Abdullah Mubarak Al-Sabah, the Commander General of

1376-719: The Kuwait 15th Mubarak Armored Brigade which were considered the second and third functioning armored brigades in service. During that same year, the Kuwait Army held the first military parade in recognition of the independence of Kuwait, and the BAC Jet Provost entered into service with the Kuwaiti Air Force. Also in 1962, the Kuwait Police became an integral component of the Kuwait Ministry of Interior . In 1963, an organizational Amiri Decree

1462-688: The Marshall Islands , and the Federated States of Micronesia through the Compact of Free Association . Following the 2006 Fijian coup d'état , Fiji was suspended from the program and the associated support. Fiji rejoined the program in 2015. Twelve nations operate Pacific-class patrol boats, as part of their military, coast guard, or police force: The continuation of the Pacific Patrol Boat Program through

1548-635: The Multinational Force in Lebanon included Her Majesty's 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards . United States formations featured contingents of the U.S. Navy including the United States Marine Corps , Air Force and Army . France's components included the French Air Force , French Army , French Navy including Aéronavale and French Regular and Foreign paratrooper regiments , companies , units including

1634-605: The State of Kuwait . The Kuwait National Guard, however, is an independent combat institution from the Ministry of Defense and Interior and acts independently under the guidance, discretion and disposition of the respective leadership, supporting the Military of the State of Kuwait as needed and required. The Kuwait Fire Service Directorate, is also an independent public fire fighting body with military ranks and ribbons identifications. The three main military arms of Kuwait are

1720-633: The United Kingdom . In 1954, Mubarak Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was appointed Deputy head commander of the Kuwait Army, reporting to Abdullah Mubarak Al-Sabah. During that same year, Saleh Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah returned from the United Kingdom and was assigned as commanding officer at headquarters. Also in 1954 eight Auster aircraft entered into service with the Kuwait Flying Club for purposes of preliminary training. In 1956,

1806-586: The Army (future land force). In 1953 the border and security force was named the Kuwait Army and split from the Directorate of Public Security Force , and the latter merged with the Directorate of Police to form the preliminaries of the Ministry of Interior . Members of the previous forces became members either of the army or merged with police forces and the Directorate of Public Security Force within

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1892-564: The Army was followed by the leadership of Brigadier General Mubarak Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and his deputy Colonel Saleh Mohammed Al-Sabah who stepped in to take part in Operation Vantage along with the already active Kuwait 25th Commando Brigade as the Army was put on their second alert phase. Also during the same year, the Kuwait Flying Club was separated from the Civilian Aviation Directorate and

1978-496: The EEZ of Tuvalu dwarfs its landmass by a ratio of almost 1:28,000). Following requests by several Pacific nations for assistance from the governments of Australia and New Zealand , the Australian government created a Defence Cooperation Project named the Pacific Patrol Boat Program to design and provide suitable patrol boats to nearby island nations. The program also provided training and infrastructure to support these ships. The Program

2064-559: The Gulf War, the Kuwaiti authorities forcibly pressured nearly 200,000 Palestinians to leave Kuwait in 1991. This was in response to the alignment of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and the PLO with Iraqi dictator and invader of Kuwait Saddam Hussein . The Palestinians who fled Kuwait were Jordanians naturalized citizens. After the liberation, Kuwait became a close military partner of

2150-587: The Interior Ministry. The Kuwait Army was headed by Mubarak Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah who had recently returned from military training in the United Kingdom and reported to Abdullah Mubarak Al-Sabah. In 1953 Abdullah Mubarak Al-Sabah established the first Kuwait Flying Club. The flying club was part of the Civil Aviation Directorate and graduated the first batch of Kuwaiti pilots in 1954; these later attended advanced training in

2236-675: The Iran-Iraq War, the Kuwait Army adopted the BMP-2 infantry combat vehicle. In 1989, the Kuwait Armed Forces signed on the delivery of F/A-18 Hornets and launched the opening of the new Kuwaiti Military Hospital. On 2 August 1990, Iraqi forces invaded Kuwait . The larger Iraqi army brushed aside resistance by the 20,000-strong Kuwait Armed Forces with heavy casualties; after two days, Kuwait had been fully conquered. There were some instances of especially heroic resistance, particularly by combat aircraft pilots. Kuwaiti Forces, principally

2322-817: The Iraq-Kuwait boundary on the basis of the 1932 and the 1963 agreements between the two states. In November 1994, Iraq formally accepted the UN-demarcated border with Kuwait, which had been further spelled out in Security Council Resolutions 773 (1992) and 833 (1993). There was an exodus of Palestinian from Kuwait during and after the Gulf War. During the Iraqi occupation more than 200,000 Palestinians fled Kuwait due to harassment, intimidation by Iraqi security forces, and being dismissed from their employment due to Iraqi influence. After

2408-592: The Iraqi Armed Forces while simultaneously part leading and engaging the remainder of the Kuwaiti forces on the Kuwaiti border due to the effects of the 1973 Sanita combat engagement. One year later in 1974 and as a result of unpredictable conflicting crises, authorities enacted a new plan to expand the Kuwait Armed Forces even further. During the same year, Kuwait Armed Forces introduced the Aérospatiale Gazelle and Puma series helicopters to

2494-589: The Iraqi forces. Authorized by the United Nations Security Council , an American-led coalition of 34 nations led by Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr. fought the Gulf War to liberate Kuwait. Following several weeks of aerial bombardment, a U.S.-led United Nations (UN) coalition began a ground assault on 23 February 1991 that completely removed Iraqi forces from Kuwait in four days. After liberation, the UN, under Security Council Resolution 687 , demarcated

2580-788: The Jordan River alongside the Iraqi Armed Forces on the Egyptian and Syrian fronts during the 1973 October War against the State of Israel (also known as the Yom Kippur war), being especially heavily combat engaged on the Syrian front. As in 1967, Kuwaiti participation was too small to have any significant impact; nevertheless as in 1967, the various combat operational unit assets forming, exercised their Arab principle of solidarity and completed their mission. During 1973

2666-694: The Kuwait 35th Shaheed (Martyr) Armored Brigade of the Kuwait Army, engaged in the Battle of the Bridges near Al Jahra under Colonel Salem Masoud Al-Sorour, and the Kuwait Emiri Guards were engaged in the Battle of Dasman Palace with the Emir's half-brother Sheikh Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah . Iraqi forces seized most of the heavy military equipment of the Kuwaiti military and used it against

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2752-661: The Kuwait Air Force placed BAC Strikemaster light attack jets into service and the following year took delivery of Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. In 1972, the Kuwait Army introduced the Vickers MBT main battle tank series, and the Kuwait Armed Forces trained Egyptian pilots and technicians through the Kuwait Air Force on the English Electric Lightning. In 1973, the Kuwait Armed Forces entered into their third alert phase with

2838-483: The Kuwait Air Force was officially enacted. Also in 1961, the Universal Carrier was retired from the Kuwait Army. Over the following years and through combat experiences; Kuwait built a small effective military force including a land force, navy, air force, national guard, existing police force and fire service directorate. In 1962 the Kuwait Army activated both the Kuwait 35th Shaheed Armored Brigade and

2924-533: The Kuwait Air Force. In 1965 Brigadier General Saleh Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah was appointed as the first Deputy Chief of General Staff of the Kuwait Armed Forces. In 1966, the headquarters of the Kuwait Military Hospital was opened. In 1967, the Chief of General Staff Major General Mubarak Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah appointed his deputy Brigadier General Saleh Mohammed Al-Sabah as acting commander of

3010-520: The Kuwait Air Force. With the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War in 1975, units of the Kuwait 25th Commando Brigade were sent to Lebanon to protect mainly the State of Kuwait Embassy mission in Beirut . On another hand, a United Nations multinational peace deterrence force was formed by the United Kingdom , United States , France and Italy . The United Kingdom's contingents of

3096-623: The Kuwait Armed Forces officially enacted the Kuwait Naval Armed Service; mainly the Kuwait Navy. In 1973 the leadership of the Armed Forces led a double fronted war with and against the same forming Arab belligerent for the State of Kuwait. The leadership led the Kuwait Armed Forces brigades through their combat commanders engaged on both Syrian and Egyptian fronts during the war against Israel with and alongside

3182-685: The Kuwait Armed Forces placed the English Electric Lightning supersonic jet fighter aircraft and the Bell 206 and Bell 204 /205 (mainly the 205) helicopters into service with the Kuwaiti Air Force. In 1970, the Kuwait Armed Forces suffered seventeen fatalities in fighting against Israeli forces in Egypt. One man was killed in April and sixteen more were killed in June. During the same year,

3268-477: The Kuwait Armed Forces signed on the procurement of naval warships for the Kuwait Navy. In 1983, the Kuwait Armed Forces carried out the first air joint training with the Royal Saudi Air Force using Douglas A-4 Skyhawks. In 1984, the Kuwait Armed Forces enter the short-range tactical surface-to-air missile system 9K33 Osa in service to be operated by the Kuwait Air Force. During the same year,

3354-458: The Kuwait Army and Directorate of Police as independent forces following the formation of the first cabinet on June 17, 1962, after the independence. In 1953, the Kuwait Army split from the Directorate of Public Security Force; the latter merged with the Directorate of Police in 1959, giving formation to the newly established Kuwait Ministry of Interior . The Ministry of Interior includes

3440-415: The Kuwait Army officially moved to headquarters and was equipped with artillery for the first time. Also during the same year, a new training center was established for the Kuwait Army. The Kuwait Army split from the Directorate of Public Security Force in 1953; subsequently, the latter merged with Directorate of Police to form Directorate of Public Security and Police in 1959; following the demolition of

3526-582: The Kuwait Coast Guard and has several military commanders, designated by government protocol as assistant ministers undersecretaries, each reporting to the Minister of Interior who is designated by protocol as Deputy Prime Minister of the State of Kuwait . Upon splitting from the Directorate of Public Security Force in 1953, the Kuwait Army acted as the de facto command leadership of the available armed forces since establishment. The Kuwait Army

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3612-803: The Kuwait Land Force, the Kuwait Air Force, and the Kuwait Naval Force, which includes the Kuwait Commando Marine Units. In addition, there are other independent and ancillary military formations. The independent formations include the Kuwait Emiri Guard, which is an independent combat force dating back to the eighteenth century (as the Rulers own Guards); and the 25th Commando Brigade, an independent commando combat brigade. Ancillary formations include

3698-417: The Kuwait Military Police Authority, the Kuwait Emiri Guard Authority, the Kuwait Air Force , the Kuwait Naval Force , the Kuwait Military Fire Service Directorate and others. Each armed force at disposition of the respective combat commander, reports to the Chief of General Staff of the Kuwait Armed Forces who later reports to the Minister of Defense, designated also by protocol as Deputy Prime Minister of

3784-409: The Kuwait Military Police and the Kuwait Military Fire Service Directorate. The Kuwait National Guard, considered a combat formation, is independent of the Kuwait Armed Forces (and the Kuwait Ministry of Interior, which maintains several formations of its own, including the Kuwait Land Border Force and the Kuwait Coast Guard) and is the main internal and border protection security force. According to

3870-405: The Kuwait Navy was created and designated as the sea-based component of the Kuwait Armed Forces. During the same period, the Kuwait Army entered into service the M113 armored personnel carrier, the 9K52 Luna-M short-range artillery rocket system and the M109 howitzer . In 1980, the Iran–Iraq War broke out and the Kuwait Armed Forces entered into their fourth alert phase. During the same year,

3956-420: The Law of the Sea took effect in 1982. It introduced a 200- nautical-mile (370 km; 230 mi) exclusive economic zone (EEZ) to the territories of all nations with an ocean coastline. Several Southwest Pacific island nations found themselves responsible for policing an area of ocean that was beyond their maritime capability, and often significantly larger than their land territories (at its most extreme,

4042-427: The London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies , in 2007, the Kuwait Land Force had around 11,000 personnel, the Kuwait Air Force 2,500, and the Kuwait Navy 10 patrol and coastal craft, and there were 23,000 reservists for all services not including uniformed men and women of the Ministry of Interior and military of the Fire Service Directorate. There were 6,600 paramilitary Kuwait National Guard forces. It

4128-400: The Pacific Patrol Boat Program. The AMC does not possess a Pacific-class patrol boat to use as a training vessel; instead, the 13-metre (43 ft) TV Pinduro is fitted with identical electronic equipment. The cost of the project to Australia as of 1998 has been A$ 249 million. Each recipient country has funded most operating costs, with the United States contributing to the costs of Palau ,

4214-407: The Pacific-class hull, the Ilocos Norte class , was created for the Philippine Coast Guard . Four of these ships were delivered in December 2001, and are used as search and rescue vessels. An option for a follow on order by the Philippines of ten more ships was offered, but has not been used. The Ilocos Norte design was used in 2008 for the New South Wales Police Force patrol vessel Nemesis ;

4300-419: The State of Kuwait , during the reign of Emir of Kuwait , Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah . During 1975, Kuwait defense authorities enacted the establishment of the first Kuwait naval base. During the same year, Kuwait Armed Forces signed on the delivery of the MIM-23 Hawk surface-to-air missile system and merged the Air Defense component to the Kuwait Air Force. The de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou

4386-399: The beginning of the 1973 Samita border skirmish which led to a significant change in the operational capabilities of the Armed Forces. Also in 1973, the leadership of the Armed Forces found itself battle readying on two fronts. While components of the Armed Forces were readying to fight following the skirmish on the Kuwaiti border, Kuwait sent a token force to participate on the West Bank of

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4472-431: The capabilities of the Armed Forces to be developed to deal with external threats. Accordingly, Abdullah Mubarak Al-Sabah was appointed Commander General of the Kuwait Public Security Force, the newly designated Kuwait Army and the initial forming of the Armed services. In 1951 the Bren Gun entered into service with the Kuwait Public Security Department, followed in 1952 by the Daimler Armoured Car , both primarily with

4558-445: The coalition forces. This included the entire navy, which was sunk by coalition forces; tanks and armoured personnel carriers were also seized. While the Iraqis were required to return seized equipment after their defeat, most of it was damaged beyond repair. Only the air force escaped destruction, as many of its aircraft had escaped to Saudi Arabia. In the same year, Kuwait was part of a U.S.-led military coalition formed in response to

4644-433: The first Kuwaiti military unit to fight outside the territory of Kuwait. On June 6, 1967, the Kuwait National Guard was established under the leadership of and guidance of Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah . On July 1, the War of Attrition against the State of Israel commenced while the Yarmouk brigade was engaged on the Egyptian Front. In 1968, Kuwaiti military authorities established the Kuwait Military Academy. In 1969,

4730-400: The four-week air campaign , coalition forces launched the ground offensive. They quickly penetrated deep into Iraq , with the Legion taking the Al Salman Airport, meeting little resistance. The war ended after a hundred hours of fighting on the ground, which resulted in very light casualties for the Legion. U.S. President George H. W. Bush condemned the invasion and led efforts to drive out

4816-399: The hull design is the same, the interior and superstructure are significantly modified. The Seahorse Mercator design was used as the basis for the Royal Canadian Navy 's eight Orca -class patrol vessels , although Canadian engineers modified the Orca s to the point where they only share the basic hull shape with the Australian ship. A 35-metre (115 ft), all-aluminium design based on

4902-432: The invasion which expelled Iraq from Kuwait in what became known as the Gulf War or First Persian Gulf War. Operation Desert Storm was launched by the coalition. Douglas A-4 Skyhawks of the Kuwait Air Force destroyed several Iraqi Naval ships trying to infiltrate into Bubiyan Island. The Kuwait Armed Forces commissioned and entered into service the M-84 battle tank during the attack on Iraqi forces in Saudi Arabia. After

4988-503: The largest police-operated patrol boat in the Southern Hemisphere. The Pacific-class patrol boats are used primarily for maritime surveillance and fisheries protection. They are often the only surveillance capability the operating nation has access to, and their presence has often deterred foreign fishing fleets. The ability to patrol the waters has provided boosts to economies through both fishing fines and improved negotiation stances when discussing foreign fishing rights and fees. As part of

5074-422: The military following the engagements of Kuwait Army's infantry and cavalry protecting the three mounted defensive walls (third defensive wall mounted in 1920) of Kuwait prior and following to The Great War , was the Directorate of Public Security Force , formed during the Interwar period and mainly after World War II . The Directorate of Public Security Force already included the partnership integration of

5160-495: The military forces of the State of Kuwait . They consist of the Kuwait Air Force , the Kuwait Army , the Kuwait Navy & the Kuwait National Guard . The governing bodies are the Kuwait Ministry of Defense , the Kuwait Ministry of Interior , and the Kuwait Fire Service Directorate. The Emir of Kuwait is the commander-in-chief of all defense forces while the Crown Prince is the deputy commander. The early military structured organization which first dealt with security and

5246-449: The need for Australian and New Zealand assets to become involved in relatively small-scale incidents. Australian Shipbuilding Industries (later Tenix ) provides support facilities for the class in Brisbane , Australia, and Suva , Fiji. Crew training for the Pacific-class patrol boats is offered by the Australian Department of Defence and the Australian Maritime College (AMC). The AMC runs an average of 32 classes per year in support of

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5332-437: The new patrol boats will be supplemented by aerial surveillance and intelligence from Australia, under the Pacific Maritime Security Program . In April 2016, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced that Austal had been selected to construct the vessels and in May 2016 a contract was signed for 19 Guardian-class vessels. An additional two vessels were offered to East Timor to be purchased at an agreed fixed price. This offer

5418-415: The newly formed Air Force. In 1958 Kuwaiti officers were sent to the Military Academies in Egypt and Iraq to train, and the Kuwait Army underwent its first alert following the coup of Abdul Karim Qasim . In 1959 the Kuwait Army set up its first mechanized combat brigade, the Kuwait 6th Mechanized Brigade, known later as the Kuwait 6th Liberation Mechanized Brigade , following the liberation of Kuwait during

5504-498: The operating nation; the patrol boats may carry GAM-BO1 20 mm guns, 7.62 mm machine guns, or 12.7 mm machine guns, and these need not be permanently fitted. Each ship carries a Furuno 1011 surface search radar, which operates in the I band . The ship's company varies between 14 and 18, depending on the operating nation. In order to reduce construction and maintenance costs, the vessels were built to commercial, as opposed to military, standards. This facilitates companies in

5590-422: The operating nations to be capable of providing parts and minor maintenance in mind. There were initial problems with the propellers, engine cooling systems, and air conditioning, but these were fixed before the completion of the third ship of the class. The class underwent refits during each ship's seventh or eighth year of operation, and again at the fifteenth year (which was ongoing until 2012). This has extended

5676-428: The operating nations. Operation of the Pacifics has often required the expansion of maritime facilities, providing jobs and facilitating access for other ships. In addition to the economic boost from fishing fees and fines, improved hydrographic charts created by the ships contributes to boosting tourism. The ships are seen as miniature warships, and are a point of pride and prestige for the island nations. Crew training by

5762-400: The ordered naval warships arrived and were directly commissioned by the Kuwait Naval Force. In 1988, the Kuwait Land Force was officially designated as the land component of the Kuwait Armed Forces. The Kuwait Armed Forces were removed from their alert phase with the ending of the Iran-Iraq War. The eight-year fourth alert phase was the longest in the Armed Forces' history. With the ending of

5848-460: The other nations with interests in the Pacific. In June 2014, the Australian government announced that a replacement class of at least 20 vessels would be built by Australia as part of a new Pacific Patrol Boat Program. The A$ 2 billion Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement program (SEA 3036) (including A$ 594 million for construction and A$ 1.38 billion for through-life support costs) will replace the existing Pacific-class vessels, plus include East Timor as

5934-607: The patrol role, the Pacifics have been used for customs inspection of ships, and have stopped some smuggling and drug-running operations. Some nations charter the vessels out to other government agencies or private companies for salvage work, hydrographic surveying, or even tasks like helping to establish aquaculture farms. Pacific-class patrol boats have also seen use in humanitarian roles such as search-and-rescue, towing of disabled vessels, sea safety checks on vessels, and inter-island transport, particularly for disaster relief operations. The patrol boats also provide indirect benefits to

6020-449: The period 2010–2014 List of Irish Naval Service vessels; Additionally, the Royal Swedish Navy also operates smaller types of patrol boats (Swedish: bevakningsbåt = "guard boat"): The Swedish Coast Guard operate an additional 22 patrol vessels for maritime surveillance. Military of Kuwait The Kuwait Armed Forces ( Arabic : القوات المسلحة الكويتية , romanized :  Al-Quwwat Al-Musallahah Al-Kuwaitiyah ) are

6106-423: The predicted service life of the class to 2027. Several variant designs for the Pacific class have been produced by Australian Shipbuilding Industries (later Transfield ASI, then Tenix), for a variety of operators. Four patrol boats of a slightly shortened 31-metre (102 ft) design were produced for the Kuwait Coast Guard . An unarmed version of this design is also marketed to the operators of oil platforms as

6192-471: The size, organization, and capabilities of a nation's armed forces, the importance of patrol boats may range from minor support vessels that are part of a coast guard, to flagships that make up a majority of a navy's fleet. Their small size and relatively low cost make them one of the most common naval vessels in the world. The classification of a patrol boat is often subjective, but they are generally small naval vessels that are used to patrol national waters or

6278-510: The skill set and knowledge of the Pacific-class operators. These advisors regularly interact with officials from agencies outside the normal scope of diplomats, and can obtain political and strategic information inaccessible through other avenues. The naval advisors also allow the military-operated vessels to maintain links to larger naval forces. The ability for the operating nations to provide their own humanitarian support likewise reduces

6364-401: The smaller participating nations. A 2008 report also suggested discontinuing the program, due to rising operational costs being imposed on Australia (over double the expected annual cost of A$ 12 million two years in a row), poor operating rates (averaging 36 days at sea per ship per year) linked to the operating nations' difficulties in crewing and maintaining the ships, and a lack of support from

6450-493: The third defensive wall of Kuwait in 1957 through a ministerial decree for the expansion of Kuwait City; which later formed the Kuwait Ministry of Interior including the Kuwait Police. The Army was the first branch of what became the Armed Forces formed mainly of land force components. In the same year, the Army signed on the procurement of the Centurion tank , and two de Havilland DH.104 Dove monoplanes entered into service in

6536-831: The war due to its use in the 1979 film Apocalypse Now . Most modern designs are powered by gas turbine arrangements such as CODAG , and speeds are generally in the 25–30 knots (46–56 km/h; 29–35 mph) range. The largest OPVs might also have a flight deck and helicopter embarked. In times of crisis or war, these vessels are expected to support the larger vessels in a navy, though some smaller navies are mostly composed of just patrol boats. 35m Fast Patrol Vessels- USA -built by Swiftships, Commissioned in 2021 The Bangladesh Navy classified its medium size patrol ships as large patrol craft (LPC) which are armed with either anti-ship missiles or torpedoes . Those ships typically have heavier armaments but less range than OPVs. 35m Fast Patrol Vessels- USA -built by Swiftships, during

6622-573: The year of 1977, the Kuwait Armed Forces retired several equipment operated by the Air Force and Army and gained one new operating equipment. The English Electric Lightning and Hawker Hunter were retired by the Kuwait Air Force and Douglas A-4 Skyhawks were introduced; while the Centurion Tanks were given to Somalia by the Army, as deliveries of Chieftain MBT started to arrive. In 1978,

6708-494: Was considered that, although the Military of the State of Kuwait remained small per speculated policies and analysis, training and military readiness were taken seriously and were effective at the brigade and squadron level. The combat operational doctrine is different amongst the various combat forces forming and is highly dependent on operational capabilities and general manning formations within sizes and types of equipment packing. In 1950 Emir Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah ordered

6794-487: Was created in 1949, thirteen years before the ministry and partly mainly at the time composed almost entirely of land force components with the Kuwait Air Force being created in 1953. With the creation of the Kuwait Armed Forces in 1963, the Kuwait Ministry of Defense eventually became and is the governing body of the Kuwait Armed Forces, which includes the Kuwait Land Force , the Kuwait 25th Commando Brigade ,

6880-441: Was issued, enacting officially Chief of General Staff Headquarters of the Kuwait Armed Forces. Similarly, an Amiri Decree was issued to appoint Major General Mubarak Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to the position of Chief of General Staff of the newly formed Kuwait Armed Forces. During the same year, the subsonic British Hawker Hunter jet aircraft and the de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou transport aircraft entered into service with

6966-648: Was later sold to the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force and named Savo . The contract for the Pacific class was awarded to ASI on 9 May 1985 and construction began in September 1985. Initially ten ships were planned to be produced for eight countries, with the first ship, HMPNGS Tarangau, delivered to the Papua New Guinea Defence Force on 16 May 1987. The program continued until 15 ships were ordered, then

7052-461: Was launched on 29 May 2018 with completion expected in October 2018 and is to be gifted to Papua New Guinea. Patrol boat Per their name, patrol boats are primarily used to patrol a country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), but they may also be used in other roles, such as anti- smuggling , anti- piracy , fishery patrols, immigration law enforcement, or search and rescue . Depending on

7138-621: Was officially announced by Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke during the South Pacific Forum meeting held in Canberra on 29 and 30 August 1983. Requests for tenders were issued in August 1984. Australian Shipbuilding Industries (ASI) designed a small vessel capable of maritime surveillance and interdiction, search and rescue operations, and fisheries protection. A smaller prototype was constructed by ASI in 1984. The prototype

7224-776: Was retired from service. In 1976, the Kuwait Armed Forces took delivery of Dassault Mirage F1s to be operated by the Kuwait Air Force . During the same year, the Kuwait Air Force retired the Bell 206 and Bell 204/205 from service. In 1977, the Kuwait Armed Forces initiated the first drill training with the United States Armed Forces . During the same year, authorities enacted the Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base, officially opened in 1979, and Ali Al Salem Air Base, officially opened in 1980. During

7310-400: Was subsequently accepted. The Guardian class is 39.5 m long, capable of travelling at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) and at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) possesses a 3,000 nautical miles (5,600 km; 3,500 mi), accommodates 23 people, carries a 6.35 m RHIB and has provision to be fitted with a 30 mm main gun and two 12.7 mm machine guns. The first vessel

7396-555: Was terminated before being reopened in February 1993. By the time the program concluded, 22 ships had been delivered to 12 countries, with the final ship, FSS Independence , delivered to the Federated States of Micronesia in June 1997. The Pacific Patrol Boat Project is the largest and most complex defence co-operation project ever funded by Australia. Each patrol boat has a length of 31.5 metres (103 ft 4 in),

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