Tasmanian made high-speed, high-tech boat set to hit water

Jeremy Rockliff,Minister for Trade

Madeleine Ogilvie,Minister for Advanced Manufacturing and Defence Industries

The Tasmanian Liberal Government is continuing to grow Tasmania’s defence sector capability and a new Tasmanian made high-speed, high-tech military and law enforcement boat is set to make waves.

The latest generation Sentinel at the cutting edge of tactical watercraft has been officially unveiled by Tasmanian advanced manufacturing company PFG at the Indo-Pacific International Maritime Exposition in Sydney.

The Tasmanian Liberal Government committed $600,000 at the 2021 State Election as a three year no-interest loan to PFG Group to support the construction of this state-of-the-art vessel, securing PFG’s position as an innovative defence industry manufacturer.

The latest in the Sentinel range brings enhanced capability, speed and safety and will take the mantle as the premier operational watercraft for navies and defence forces, as well as civilian law enforcement operations around the world.

Designed and tested in the unforgiving waters around Tasmania, the Sentinel is specifically designed to meet the needs of the Royal Australian Navy and New Zealand Navy, the Sentinel can be tailored to meet the needs of any military or security operations.

It is expected the latest Sentinel, the 1100 model, will be a front runner in the Australian Defence Force’s upcoming tactical watercraft tender and has already been drawing the attention of defence buyers around the world.

With a lifespan of up to four times that of traditional high-speed response vessels, the Sentinel’s durability derived from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) construction provides extra strength and positive buoyancy, will not corrode and can offer enhanced ballistics protection.

An example of Tasmanian innovation and craftsmanship, the new generation Sentinels mark just one more step in the significant rise in Tasmania’s reputation for providing bespoke, fit-for-purpose solutions to defence hardware needs.

Manufacturing in Tasmania has been revitalised in recent years, and the Tasmanian Liberal Government has a clear plan to boost and support the industry to be world leaders of cutting-edge advanced manufacturing.

/Public Release. View in full here.