This audit would examine whether the Pacific Maritime Security Program has been designed and implemented effectively.

The 2023 Defence Strategic Review and 2024 National Defence Strategy emphasised the increasing economic, military and strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific and re-iterated the strategic importance of Defence’s Pacific Maritime Security Program. The program commenced in 2015 with the award of two contracts to Austal, comprising a construction contract for 24 Guardian Class Patrol Boats to be gifted to 12 Pacific Island countries and a sustainment contract for in-service support work for seven years. As of November 2024, 22 of the boats had been delivered and the reported values of the contracts were $493.8 million and $172.7 million, respectively. Other aspects of the program involve the provision of related infrastructure, disposal of the 22 previously gifted vessels and deployment of 33 technical advisors to assist with capacity building in the Pacific Island countries. This audit would include examining the objectives of the program and the extent to which those objectives have been achieved.