HMAS Fremantle

Her Majesty’s Australian Ship (HMAS) Fremantle, pennant number 203, was a patrol boat commissioned in 1980 as the lead ship of her class. She took the longest voyage made by a lone patrol vessel of her time, and she aided Australian efforts to curb illegal fishing and immigration over the 26 years of her career.

HMAS Fremantle crossing under the Sydney Harbour Bridge

In September 1977, the Australian government decided to purchase a new class of large patrol craft, initially designated PCF 420 class. The design was purchased from Brooke Marine Ltd., a relatively small shipbuilder from Lowestoft in the United Kingdom, who designed the class and built the HMAS Fremantle herself. They then passed the production rights to the North Queensland Engineers and Agents Pty Ltd. in Cairns, which made all the remaining vessels of the class.

The names of these vessels were derived from World War II-era Bathurst-class corvettes. Fremantle was named after HMAS Fremantle J246, which was launched March 1942 and commissioned March 1943, scrapped January 1961.

HMAS Fremantle herself was launched on February 15, 1979. It was customary for such a small vessel to be delivered to the purchaser using a heavy lift ship. Instead, the Royal Australian Navy decided to sail her under her own power all the way from Lowestoft, through the Suez Canal, to Sydney. She overcame the 3m-tall waves, and traveled 26,871 kilometers — at the time claimed to be the longest voyage made by an individual patrol vessel.

During the sea trials, the actual tonnage of Fremantle and the first three ships of her class appeared to be 20 tonnes (~10%) more than designed. Problems of flooding-back through the engine exhaust were rectified, and the displacement of successive ships was gradually reduced.

Fremantle-class 208 Whyalla showcasing endurance of the class in the high seas

Since her commissioning in March 1980, Fremantle was based in Sydney. By 1982 she was joined by P 206 Wollongong, P 207 Launceston and P 208 Whyalla, which later were rebased, leaving Fremantle the only vessel of the class left in Sydney. She was eventually reassigned to training duties.

In 1993 she received a modernisation which included ESM system Type 133 PRISM built and designed domestically by AWA Defence Industries. It functioned as a Radar Warning Receiver with passive direction finding and an additional functionalities around electronic signal intelligence.

Through her career she served in a role typical for a patrol vessel, ensuring fisheries protection, immigration, customs and drug law enforcement. After 26 years in service she was decommissioned on 11 August 2006, after 26 years in active service.