Australia designed the vessels to use commercial off the shelf components, rather than cutting edge military grade components, to make it easier to maintain the vessels in small, isolated shipyards. The vessels will have a maximum speed of 20 knots, and to have a complement of approximately 20 crewmembers. They will be able to launch and retrieve a pursuit boat from a stern launching ramp without requiring bringing the vessel to a halt.
On April 2, 2019, Police Commissioner Fuiavailili Egon Keil hinted that keeping her crew safe might require installing a deck gun.[4] Australia designed the vessels to be capable of mounting secondary machine guns, and a primary weapon of up to 30 mm in caliber. Australia delivers the vessels complete, except for armament, and the original Nafanua and her sister ships were armed only with small arms.
Nafanua II will be the first Samoan patrol vessel with a mixed gender crew.[5]
Samoa agreed that Nafanua II would cooperate under the Niue Treaty Subsidiary Agreement to conduct fishery surveillance as it transitted Australian waters, on its first voyage to Samoa, even though she had yet to be officially commissioned.[7]
The Nafanua II arrived in Apia on October 4, 2019.[9]
By mid September an Australian salvage team had arrived, and had removed the vessel from the reef, lashed it to a barge, and had begun towing it to an Australian shipyard for a damage assessment.[11]
Agafili Shem Leo, a Samoan cabinet official, told the press an inquiry was determining how the vessel came to run aground.[11]
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Sapeer Mayron. Maritime police get $113,535 boost, Samoan Observer, 2018-08-15. Retrieved on 2018-08-18. “The change rooms are a necessary addition because in August 2019, the wing will receive an Australian government-funded Guardian Class Patrol Boat, which will be used by both male and female police.”
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Adel Fruean. New patrol boat to boost maritime security, Samoan Observer, 2019-01-28. Retrieved on 2019-02-05. “Under the Pacific Maritime Security Programme, Samoa will this year receive the Nafanua II – a bigger, more capable patrol boat – to enhance Samoa’s capacity to secure its ocean resources and maritime domain.”
↑ 3.03.1
Ridzwan Rahmat. Australia hands over Guardian-class patrol vessel to Samoa, Jane's Navy International, 2019-08-16. Retrieved on 2019-08-16. “Nafanua II will be operated by the Police Maritime Wing of the Samoan Police Service. The vessel is part of the Australian government’s Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement (SEA 3036) programme, which will see the donation of 21 new patrol vessels to 12 Pacific Island countries, and Timor-Leste.”
↑Samoa police patrol boat may be armed, Radio New Zealand, 2019-04-02. Retrieved on 2019-04-02. “The service will take delivery of a new state-of-the-art patrol boat, Nafanua II, in September and the Police Commissioner Fuiavailili Egon Keil wants to keep an eye on how the future shapes up with their surveillance work.”
↑Samoa receives Guardian-class Patrol Boat, Mirage News, 2019-08-16. Retrieved on 2019-08-16. “The Australian Government has today handed over the newest Guardian-class Patrol Boat Nafanua II to the Samoan Government at a ceremony in Henderson, Western Australia. Nafanua II was received by Samoa’s Deputy Prime Minister the Honourable Fiame Naomi Mata’afa and the Commissioner of Police Mr Fuivaili’ili Egon Keil.”
↑Australia hands over Guardian-class patrol boat to Samoa, Naval Technology, 2019-08-16. Retrieved on 2022-03-04. “The delivery is part of the Pacific Patrol Boat replacement component of the A$2bn ($1.35bn) Pacific Maritime Security Program, which is designed to enhance maritime security cooperation across the South Pacific.”
↑ 11.011.1
Marc Membrere. Nafanua II leaves for Australia, Samoa Observer, 2021-09-21. Retrieved on 2022-03-04. “Last week, the Nafanua II patrol boat had been successfully salvaged and towed away from the Salelologa reef after being stranded on the outskirts of Savaii for just over a month.”
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Matai'a Lanuola Tusani T - Ah Tong. Nafanua II salvage success, Samoa Observer, 2021-09-15. “Superintendent Taito Sefo Hunt was suspended last week following the incident that destroyed or severely damaged the $30 million patrol boat that was only donated from Australia in 2019.”