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The Cape class is a ship class of eight large patrol boats operated by the Customs Marine Unit of the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service. Ordered in 2011, the vessels were built by Austal Ships to replace Customs' Bay-class patrol boats, and entered service from 2013 onwards. ==Design and construction== The Bay class was due to be replaced in 2010, but it was not until June of that year that a request for tender was issued for eight new, larger patrol boats.〔Parnell, ''Navy and Customs vessels cut back on border patrols''〕〔Australian Security Magazine, ''Govt to buy new border patrol vessels''〕 Austal Ships received the tender for eight patrol boats on 12 August 2011. Each vessel is in length, with a beam of and a draught of .〔Saunders (ed.), ''IHS Jane's Fighting Ships 2012–2013'', p. 39〕 Propulsion machinery consists of two Caterpillar 3516C diesel engines, providing to two propeller shafts.〔 A bow thruster is also fitted.〔 Maximum speed is , with a range of at , and an endurance of 28 days.〔〔 They have a crew of 18.〔 Each Cape-class vessel is armed with two .50 calibre machine guns, and carries two Gemini RHIB interception craft in cradles at the stern, along with a small boat carried amidships.〔 According to media reports, prior to the tender process, information about the project was leaked to Austal by a senior Customs official.〔Besser & Snow, ''$350 million boat deal leak revealed''〕 The leak was reported to occur during an investigation of claims that the tendering requirements had been set up to favour Austal.〔 Customs stated in March 2013 that reports of leaks during the tendering process were unfounded, and that internal and external investigations of the accusation concluded that the tender process had not been compromised or set up to favour a particular tenderer.〔〔 Construction of the new vessels started in February 2012, with entry into service planned for between March 2013 and August 2015.〔〔 The first vessel was launched in January 2013, and named ''Cape St. George'' on 15 March 2013. The boats have been named after eight capes in Australia: Cape St. George, Cape Byron, Cape Nelson, Cape Sorell, Cape Jervis, Cape Leveque, Cape Wessel, and Cape York.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/cape-class-patrol-boats/ )〕 The final vessel, ''Cape York'', was delivered at the end of August 2015. The project cost A$330 million, including in-service support to be provided by Austal: the largest procurement undertaken by the Customs and Border Protection Service.〔〔 Although originally due to leave service in 2010, ships of the Bay class remained in service until the Cape class fully entered service.〔 According to media reports, prior to the tender process, information about the project was leaked to Austal by a senior Customs official.〔Besser & Snow, ''$350 million boat deal leak revealed''〕 The leak was reported to occur during an investigation of claims that the tendering requirements had been set up to favour Austal.〔 Customs stated in March 2013 that reports of leaks during the tendering process were unfounded, and that internal and external investigations of the accusation concluded that the tender process had not been compromised or set up to favour a particular tenderer.〔〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Cape-class patrol boat」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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