HMAS Madang (P 94) - Operational History

Operational History

Madang arrived in Port Moresby in March 1969, the last of the five Attack-class boats to be delivered to the PNG Division. Her home port was the RAN base HMAS Tarangau at Los Negros Island, Manus Province. Primary roles of the new patrol boats were fisheries protection and sea training, but also undertook search and rescue, medical evacuation and monitoring of navigational aids roles. The ship's company was a made up of both Australian and PNG servicemen. Prior to the arrival of the Attack-class patrol boats, surveillance of PNG waters was conducted by small coastal craft and occasional visits by larger RAN warships, but the PNG Division was now able to chase and apprehend vessels suspected of illegal fishing.

Madang was one the five Attack-class patrol boats of the PNG Division transferred to the Papua New Guinea Defence Force's (PNGDF) Maritime Element (now Maritime Operations Element) on 14 November 1974 when the PNGDF took over maritime functions. They formed the PNGDF Patrol Boat Squadron based at Manus. The Attack class was removed from PNGDF service prior to 1998, although the current status of HMPNGS Madang is not known with certainty.