The Australian Ministry of Defence has received the first of six Arafura-class offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) from Luerssen Australia, a subsidiary of NVL Group. As part of the SEA 1180 project, Canberra signed a contract with the German shipbuilder in 2018. The lead ship, NUSHIP Arafura, began construction in November 2018 and was launched in December 2021. After delivery, the vessel will sail to its homeport at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia for additional testing and evaluation before officially joining the Royal Australian Navy later this year.
