| Unit Name: | ABF Marine Unit |
| Dates: | – present |
| Country: | Australia |
| Agency: | Australian Border Force |
| Type: | Coast guard |
| Role: |
|
| Command Structure: | Maritime Border Command |
| Headquarters: | Canberra, Australia. |
| Abbreviation: | ABF MU |
| Current Commander: | Commander Claire Rees (Acting)[1] |
| Programmes: | --> |
| Boats: | 12 major ships 13 patrol boats |
| Website: | https://www.abf.gov.au/about-us/what-we-do/border-protection/maritime |
The Marine Unit, formerly the Australian Customs Service National Marine Unit, is a division of the Australian Border Force 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, and the operation and training of ships and crews to do so.
See also: Maritime Border Command (Australia). The CMU and the Border Protection Division (formerly known as Coastwatch) make up the Customs contribution to Maritime Border Command, a joint command with the Australian Defence Force and incorporating assets from the Australian Fisheries Management Authority, the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, 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, people smuggling, importation or exportation of drugs and other illegal items, piracy, and terrorism.
Australian Border Force maintains a permanent base of operations for the Marine Unit at the Port Darwin East Arm Wharf.[2]
Ships operated by the CMU have been given the prefix Australian Border Force Cutter (ABFC) since the creation of the Australian Border Force. Ships were previously referred to as Australian Customs Vessels (ACVs).
The largest ship in the Australian Border Force fleet is the 110.9m (363.8feet) offshore patrol vessel ABFC Ocean Shield, which entered service in June 2012 and is a sister ship to ADV Ocean Protector.[3] ABFC Thaiyak is a unique 40m (130feet) vessel delivered in June 2014[4] 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. The Australian Border Force announced life extension work for two remaining Bay-class patrol boats and mid-life cycle works for the Cape-class patrol boats.
| Current fleet[5] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image | Class | Name | Type | Entered service | Details |
| N/A | Sealift, offshore patrol | 2012 | Previously operated by Royal Australian Navy. | ||
| N/A | Long term Ashmore capability (LTAC) | 2014 | Primarily stationed at the Ashmore and Cartier Islands. | ||
| Offshore patrol | 2013 | ||||
| Offshore patrol | 2014 | ||||
| Offshore patrol | 2014 | ||||
| Offshore patrol | 2014 | ||||
| Offshore patrol | 2015 | ||||
| Offshore patrol | 2015 | ||||
| Offshore patrol | 2015 | ||||
| Offshore patrol | 2015 | ||||
| Offshore patrol | 2000 | Undergoing life extension work in 2024.[6] | |||
| Offshore patrol | 2000 | Undergoing life extension work in 2024. | |||
In 2017 Australian Border Force signed contracts to acquire 13 new harbour and costal patrol boats.[7] These vessels are stationed around the country and are used for a variety of operations including costal patrol, surveillance and drug interdiction.[8]
The Royal Australian Navy has procured 6 Evolved Cape-class patrol vessels to act as a stopgap replacement for the Armidale-class patrol boat as they await the completion of the Arafura-class of patrol vessels.[9] It remains unclear if these Evolved Cape-class patrol vessels will be transferred to the Australian Border Force once all Arafura-class vessels have been commissioned into RAN service.
The Defence Strategic Review due in 2023 is reportedly considering removing the Arafura-class from Royal Australian Navy service and transferring them to the Australian Border Force Marine Unit, this is being considered as the Arafura class lacks the capabilities required in high-end warfighting.[10] [11] Under that plan, the RAN would instead acquire a fleet of corvettes.