High Commissioner: Patrol boat pledged by Australia will be completed in first half of 2026

Australian High Commissioner to the Maldives, David Jessup, states the new Guardian-class patrol boat pledged to the Maldives by Australia will be completed within the first half of next year.

The patrol boat was pledged to the Maldives during Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles’s visit to the Maldives back in June.

Speaking during SSTV’s ‘Diplomatic Focus’ program, Jessup said the donation marks a significant step forward in bilateral relations between the two nations, particularly in terms of defense.

“It really is a strong commitment of Australia’s willingness to be a strong, trusted and reliable partner of Maldives. We are very keen to ensure that Maldives has the sovereign capability to patrol its maritime domain and I think this vessel will absolutely do that,” he said.

According to Jessup, the vessel is presently under production in Western Australia’s Perth and will be completed in the first half of next year.

In the meantime, Jessup said Australia will be working very closely with Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) to train personnel required to operate the vessel and ensure the necessary processes are in place to take delivery of the vessel.

The High Commissioner also highlighted several other initiatives as part of defense cooperation between Australia and the Maldives including the donation of hydrography equipment this month to the Coastguard.