Tasmanian boat builder Sentinel Boats has landed a Defence contract to deliver up to seven high-performance inflatable boats for Australia’s elite Special Operations Forces.
The deal covers the latest version of the company’s 830R vessel, a single point lift variation of its rigid hulled inflatable boat designed for defence, law enforcement and rescue work.
Sentinel Boats CEO George McGuire said the contract was a strong endorsement of Australian design and manufacturing.
“It will help create more skilled jobs, secure our national sovereign defence capability, and play a small part in turning around our nation’s declining manufacturing sector,” he said.
The company will initially hand over two of the boats to Special Operations Command later this year, with the contract allowing for up to seven in total.
“It’s a proud day for Sentinel Boats,” McGuire said.
“The 830R was first developed as a high-performance police vessel.”
“The next rear console variant was focussed on military/para-military operations, including boarding operations.”
He said those vessels were exported to Ukrainian Armed Forces through Australia’s military gifting program and were also used by Defence.
“Now the latest variant, the 830R-SPL, will enter service with Australia’s elite Special Operations command for use across a wide range of training and operational scenarios,” McGuire said.
The boats are made from high-density polyethylene, a material the company says is extremely durable and can absorb impacts that would put other vessels out of action.
The latest model features integrated lifting and painter hooks so it can be launched and recovered from a parent ship while underway.
It also has a pneumatic collar that allows a larger cargo area and three-abreast seating, giving crews more flexibility including the ability to operate autonomous systems.
A self-righting capability has been carried over from boats Sentinel is building for the Royal New Zealand Navy.
Sentinel Boats won the Defence Award at the Australian Manufacturing Awards last October.
The company is also producing 17 vessels for the New Zealand Navy and was named their prime contractor of the year in 2023 for delivering high-speed craft to the same fleet.
