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 (EEZ), and the operation and training of ships and crews to do so.
Operations
The CMU and the Border Protection Division (formerly known as
Coastwatch
The Australian Coastal Surveillance Organisation, also known as Coastwatch, was an operational division of the Australian Customs Service and the de facto Australian coast guard service. The former Coastwatch Division is now part of the Austra ...
) make up the Customs contribution to
Maritime Border Command
The Maritime Border Command (MBC) is Australia's principal civil maritime security agency, a de facto coast guard, operating in the maritime domain to ensure compliance with Australia's maritime legislation by foreign and domestic non-state actor ...
, a joint
command
Command may refer to:
Computing
* Command (computing), a statement in a computer language
* COMMAND.COM, the default operating system shell and command-line interpreter for DOS
* Command key, a modifier key on Apple Macintosh computer keyboards
* ...
with the
Australian Defence Force
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is the military organisation responsible for the defence of the Commonwealth of Australia and its national interests. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Forc ...
and incorporating assets from the
Australian Fisheries Management Authority, the
Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service
The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service was the Australian government agency responsible for enforcing Australian quarantine laws, as part of the Department of Agriculture.
Following a period operating under the name DAFF Biosecurit ...
, 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.
Facilities
Australian Border Force maintains a permanent base of operations for the Marine Unit at the
Port Darwin East Arm Wharf.
Ships
Ships operated by the CMU were referred to as Australian Customs Vessels (ACVs) until the creation of the Australian Border Force in 2015 when the prefix of vessels operated by the CMU was changed to Australian Border Force Cutter (ABFC).
Current Ships
The largest ship in the
Australian Border Force fleet is the offshore patrol vessel
ABFC ''Ocean Shield'', which entered service in June 2012 and is a sister ship to ADV ''Ocean Protector''.
ABFC ''Thaiyak'' is a unique vessel delivered in June 2014 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.
Small Boats
In 2017
Australian Border Force signed contracts to acquire 13 new Habour and Costal Patrol boats. These vessels are stationed around the country and are used for a variety of operations including costal patrol, survillence and
drug interdiction.
File:Rottnest Island, Fremantle, 2021 (03).jpg, ABF Boat Rottnest Island, Fremantle
File:Pilbara Coast, Fremantle, 2020 (01).jpg, An ABF harbour patrol vessel, Pilbara Coast, Fremantle, 2020
File:Australian Border Force rigid hulled inflatable boat Rottnest Island near Kwinana Bulk Terminal, August 2021 06.jpg, Australian Border Force rigid-hulled inflatable boat Rottnest Island near Kwinana Bulk Terminal, August 2021
Future Ships
The
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...
has procured 6
Evolved Cape-class patrol vessels to act as a