Following the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea extension of maritime nations' exclusive economic zones (EEZs) to 200km (100miles), Australia agreed to provide twelve of its neighbours with 22 Pacific Forum-class patrol vessels, so they could exercise sovereignty over their territory, including their extended EEZs, using their own resources. The first vessel was delivered in 1987, and in 2015 Australia announced plans to replace the original patrol boats with larger and more capable vessels.
Australian ship builder Austal won the $335 million Australian dollar contract for the project, and built the vessels at its Henderson shipyard, near Perth. Guardian-class vessels were designed to use commercial off-the-shelf components, not cutting edge, military grade equipment, to make them easier to maintain in small isolated shipyards.
The vessels are 39.5m (129.6feet) long, can travel 3000nmi at 12knots. Their maximum speed is . Their design allows the recipient nations to mount a pair of heavy machine guns, on either flank, and possibly an autocannon of up to, on the foredeck.
In July 2019, Inspector Seleganui Fusi, commanding officer of Te Mataili II, hosted a delegation from Timor, letting them prepare for the arrival of their patrol vessels.
Te Mataili II was severely damaged by a cyclone in Vanuatu in March 2023 and was sent to Australia for repairs.[1] Te Mataili II was declared beyond economic repair and will be replaced by Te Mataili III.[2]