Small Vessels In Service Support (ISS)

The Australian Border Force’s (ABF) Small Vessels fleet carries out civil maritime law enforcement activities around Australia and can be expected to perform the following:

(a) short but sustained patrols;

(b) response to rapidly emerging threats or intelligence and information;

(c) general and targeted surveillance in either an overt or covert posture;

(d) all boarding operations on the spectrum from compliant boarding through to high speed pursuit and subsequent apprehension and detention;

(e) transport of ABF and Other Government Agency (OGA) personnel and equipment;

(f) limited cargo transport;

(g) limited towing of other vessels;

(h) transport of detained people;

(i) regional engagement and/or joint patrols with OGAs;

(j) support to humanitarian, disaster relief or medical evacuation missions; and

(k) conduct of Search and Rescue (SAR) operations to uphold Australia’s international obligation with respect to Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).

All Small Vessels are ABF-crewed Regulated Australian Vessels (RAVs) or Domestic Commercial Vessels (DCVs) and classed across a variety of National Standard Commercial Vessel (NSCV) classes.

The provision of In Service Support for the Small Vessels fleet includes:

(a) management of Services;

(b) vessel survey, trailer registrations;

(c) provision of Engineering Services;

(d) provision of Maintenance Services;

(e) provision of Supply Services;

(f) provision of Support Resources;

(g) Quality Management; and

(h) health, safety and environmental management.

Refer to RFT Attachment A for further information