The Attack class was ordered in 1964 to operate in Australian waters as patrol boats, replacing a variety of old patrol, search-and-rescue, and general-purpose craft. The design was developed based on lessons learned from the use of Ton-classminesweepers for patrol duties off Borneo during the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation.[1] Initially, nine boats were ordered for the RAN, with another five for Papua New Guinea's Australian-run coastal security force. Subsequently, another six ships were ordered which brought the class to 20 vessels.[1] The class had a displacement of 100 tons at standard load and 146 tons at full load, were 107.6 feet (32.8 m) in length overall, had a beam of 20 feet (6.1 m), and draughts of 6.4 feet (2.0 m) at standard load, and 7.3 feet (2.2 m) at full load.[1][2] Propulsion machinery consisted of two 16-cylinder Paxman YJCM diesel engines, which supplied 3,460 shaft horsepower (2,580 kW) to the two propellers.[1][2] The vessels could achieve a top speed of 24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph), and had a range of 1,200 nautical miles (2,200 km; 1,400 mi) at 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph).[1][2] The ship's company consisted of three officers and sixteen sailors.[2] Main armament was a bow-mounted Bofors 40 mm gun, 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 class were to operate in remote regions of Australia and New Guinea, and needed to be able to utilise locally available mechanical components.[3]
Archer paid off on 21 October 1974. She was transferred to the Indonesian Navy and renamed Siliman,[5] and was listed in Jane's Fighting Ships as still operational in 2011.[5]
Citations
^ abcdefGillett, Australian and New Zealand Ships since 1946, p. 86
^ abcdeBlackman (ed.), Jane's Fighting Ships, 1968–69, p. 18
^The patrol boat, Australian National Maritime Museum
^ abGillett, Australian and New Zealand Ships since 1946, p. 87
