The Marine Unit, formerly the Australian Customs Service National Marine Unit, is a division of the
Australian Border Force
The Australian Border Force (ABF) is a federal law enforcement agency, part of the Department of Home Affairs, responsible for offshore and onshore border control enforcement, investigations, compliance and detention operations in Australia. Thr ...
which acts as a Coast Guard in guarding Australia's coast. The Marine Unit focuses on surveillance and response activities within the Australian
Economic Exclusion Zone (EEZ), and the operation and training of ships and crews to do so.
Operations
The CMU and the Border Protection Division (formerly known as
Coastwatch
The Australian Coastal Surveillance Organisation, also known as Coastwatch, was an operational division of the Australian Customs Service and the de facto Australian coast guard service. The former Coastwatch Division is now part of the Austr ...
) make up the Customs contribution to
Maritime Border Command
The Maritime Border Command (MBC) is Australia's principal civil maritime security agency, a de facto coast guard, operating in the maritime domain to ensure compliance with Australia's maritime legislation by foreign and domestic non-state acto ...
, a joint
command
Command may refer to:
Computing
* Command (computing), a statement in a computer language
* COMMAND.COM, the default operating system shell and command-line interpreter for DOS
* Command key, a modifier key on Apple Macintosh computer keyboards
* ...
with the
Australian Defence Force and incorporating assets from the
Australian Fisheries Management Authority
The Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) is the Australian Government agency responsible for the management and sustainable use of fisheries resources including combating illegal fishing activities in the Australian Fishing Zone that c ...
, the
Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service
The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service was the Australian government agency responsible for enforcing Australian quarantine laws, as part of the Department of Agriculture.
Following a period operating under the name DAFF Biosecurit ...
, and state-level agencies. Maritime Border Command is responsible for protecting Australia's maritime areas, offshore assets, and external territories from threats, including the
exploitation of natural resources
The exploitation of natural resources is the use of natural resources for economic growth, sometimes with a negative connotation of accompanying environmental degradation. It started to emerge on an industrial scale in the 19th century as the e ...
, people smuggling, importation or exportation of drugs and other illegal items, piracy, and terrorism.
Facilities
Australian Border Force
The Australian Border Force (ABF) is a federal law enforcement agency, part of the Department of Home Affairs, responsible for offshore and onshore border control enforcement, investigations, compliance and detention operations in Australia. Thr ...
maintains a permanent base of operations for the Marine Unit at the
Port Darwin
Port Darwin is the port in Darwin, Northern Territory, in northern Australia. The port has operated in a number of locations, including Stokes Hill Wharf, Cullen Bay and East Arm Wharf. In 2015, a 99-year lease was granted to the Chinese-owned ...
East Arm Wharf.
Ships
Ships operated by the CMU were referred to as Australian Customs Vessels (ACVs) until the creation of the Australian Border Force in 2015 when the prefix of vessels operated by the CMU was changed to Australian Border Force Cutter (ABFC).
Current Ships
The largest ship in the
Australian Border Force
The Australian Border Force (ABF) is a federal law enforcement agency, part of the Department of Home Affairs, responsible for offshore and onshore border control enforcement, investigations, compliance and detention operations in Australia. Thr ...
fleet is the offshore patrol vessel
ABFC ''Ocean Shield'', which entered service in June 2012 and is a sister ship to ADV ''Ocean Protector''.
ABFC ''Thaiyak'' is a unique vessel delivered in June 2014 intended to replace the ACV ''Ashmore Guardian'' for use around the
Ashmore and Cartier Islands. In addition, charter arrangements give Customs access to an additional twenty vessels of various sizes and types; these are called on when required to transport apprehended foreign fishermen and illegal entrants, or tow captured vessels.
Small Boats
In 2017
Australian Border Force
The Australian Border Force (ABF) is a federal law enforcement agency, part of the Department of Home Affairs, responsible for offshore and onshore border control enforcement, investigations, compliance and detention operations in Australia. Thr ...
signed contracts to acquire 13 new Habour and Costal Patrol boats. These vessels are stationed around the country and are used for a variety of operations including costal patrol, survillence and
drug interdiction
The war on drugs is a global campaign, led by the United States federal government, of drug prohibition, military aid, and military intervention, with the aim of reducing the illegal drug trade in the United States.Cockburn and St. Clair, 199 ...
.
File:Rottnest Island, Fremantle, 2021 (03).jpg, ABF Boat Rottnest Island, Fremantle
File:Pilbara Coast, Fremantle, 2020 (01).jpg, An ABF harbour patrol vessel, Pilbara Coast, Fremantle, 2020
File:Australian Border Force rigid hulled inflatable boat Rottnest Island near Kwinana Bulk Terminal, August 2021 06.jpg, Australian Border Force rigid-hulled inflatable boat Rottnest Island near Kwinana Bulk Terminal, August 2021
Future Ships
The
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...
has procured 6
Evolved Cape-class patrol vessels to act as a
stopgap replacement for the
Armidale-class patrol boat
The ''Armidale'' class is a class of patrol boats built for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Planning for a class of vessels to replace the fifteen s began in 1993 as a joint project with the Royal Malaysian Navy, but was cancelled when Malays ...
as they await the completion of the
Arafura-class of patrol vessels. It remains unclear if these
Evolved Cape-class patrol vessels will be transferred to the
Australian Border Force
The Australian Border Force (ABF) is a federal law enforcement agency, part of the Department of Home Affairs, responsible for offshore and onshore border control enforcement, investigations, compliance and detention operations in Australia. Thr ...
once all
Arafura-class vessels have been commissioned into
RAN
Ran, RaN and ran may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Ran'' (film), a 1985 film directed by Akira Kurosawa
* "Ran" (song), a 2013 Japanese song by Luna Sea
* '' Ran Online'', a 2004 MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role playing game)
* ...
service.
Former Ships
*6 s. 4 Bay-class patrol boats have been gifted to the
Sri Lankan Navy
ta, இலங்கை கடற்படை
, image = Sri Lanka Naval Seal.png
, image_size = 180px
, caption = Emblem of Sri Lanka Navy
, dates =
, c ...
and
Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency
The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (Abbr.; MMEA; ms, Agensi Penguatkuasaan Maritim Malaysia – ''APMM''); formally known as Malaysia Coast Guard for international identification, is the coast guard organisation of Malaysia, and principa ...
.
*
ACV ''Triton''
*
ACV ''Ashmore Guardian''
*
MV ''Oceanic Viking''
References
*
*
External links
ABF Maritime Border Command Patrol vessels
{{Coast guards
Customs services