Launched in February 1979, HMAS Fremantle was the lead ship of a new class of large patrol craft purchased by the Australian government, initially designated the PCF 420 Class. Designed by Brooke Marine Ltd of Lowestoft in the United Kingdom, Fremantle was uniquely delivered under her own power, sailing from Lowestoft through the Suez Canal to Sydney, a journey of 26,871 km that was claimed to be the longest voyage ever made by an individual patrol vessel at the time. After commissioning in March 1980, she was based off Sydney and was initially joined by her sister ships Wollongong, Launceston, and Whyalla, which were later redeployed, leaving Fremantle as the sole vessel of her class in Sydney and eventually assigned to training duties. In 1993, she underwent modernisation with the addition of a domestically designed Type 133 PRISM ESM, enhancing her capabilities in radar warning and electronic signal intelligence. Throughout her 26-year service, Fremantle played a vital role in fisheries protection, immigration control, customs enforcement, and drug law enforcement, before being decommissioned in August 2006 and subsequently scrapped.
The Fremantle-class, HMAS Fremantle (P203) is a British motor gun boat introduced in Update "Dance of Dragons". Compared to her predecessor, HMAS Arrow, she has a very similar armament but a significantly higher speed (though still not high enough to be among the first to capture points), a more stable hull, and significantly improved survivability. The British 40 mm Bofors is the vessel's primary gun, with good stopping power against aircraft and lower BR vessels, though it struggles to deal with higher BR gunboats and especially frigates. While the Mk 2 mortar is an interesting addition over most other comparable vessels, and in theory can do a surprisingly good amount of damage—especially to motor torpedo boats—its low muzzle velocity makes it extremely tricky to hit targets at anything but point-blank range. Overall, Fremantle must choose its battles; knowing its enemies will be essential, and deciding when to commit and when to fall back can make or break a match.
