See main article: Attack-class patrol boat. The Attack class was ordered in 1964 to operate in Australian waters as patrol boats, based on lessons learned through using the s on patrols around Borneo during the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation, and to replace a variety of old patrol, search-and-rescue, and general-purpose craft. Initially, nine were ordered for the RAN, with another five for Papua New Guinea's Australian-run coastal security force, although another six ships were ordered to bring the class to twenty vessels. The patrol boats had a displacement of 100 tons at standard load and 146 tons at full load, were in length overall, had a beam of 20feet, and draughts of at standard load, and 7.3feet at full load.[1] [2] Their propulsion machinery consisted of two 16-cylinder Paxman YJCM diesel engines, which supplied to the two propellers.[1] [2] The vessels could achieve a top speed of 24kn, and had a range of 1200nmi at .[1] [2] The ship's company consisted of three officers and sixteen sailors.[2] The main armament was a bow-mounted Bofors 40 mm gun, which was supplemented by two .50-calibre M2 Browning machine guns and various small arms.[1] [2] The ships were designed with as many commercial components as possible: the Attacks were to operate in remote regions of Australia and New Guinea, and a town's hardware store would be more accessible than home base in a mechanical emergency.[3]
Adroit was laid down by Evans Deakin and Company at Brisbane, Queensland,[4] in August 1967, launched on 3 February 1968 and commissioned on 17 August 1968.[4]
The patrol boat was transferred to the Fremantle Port Division of the Royal Australian Navy Reserve in March 1983.[4]
Adroit paid off on 28 March 1992. The patrol boat was sunk as a target by A-4 Skyhawk aircraft of No. 2 Squadron RNZAF on 8 August 1994.[5] The wreck is located in the Rottnest ship graveyard, west of Rottnest Island.[5]