Aus Ships Group undertook the in-house design and construction of a new 7.7m Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) to develop a highly competitive Australian-designed and manufactured commercial vessel for both domestic and international markets. A key innovation of the vessel is its advanced D-collar configuration, which provides increased internal deck volume while maintaining exceptional stability, buoyancy and passenger safety. This design delivers greater operational flexibility without increasing the vessel’s overall footprint, making it suitable for a wide range of commercial applications.
The project had a clear commercial objective to create a versatile platform capable of serving government agencies, emergency services, defence support, tourism operators and commercial workboat applications. The vessel was designed to deliver superior performance, improved fuel efficiency and reduced whole-of-life operating costs while providing enhanced ride quality, stability and seakeeping compared with conventional RIB designs. The scalable platform also allows multiple customer-specific configurations and mission profiles, strengthening Aus Ships Group’s commercial vessel portfolio and reinforcing the company’s reputation for innovative Australian naval architecture and advanced manufacturing. Ultimately, the project positions the company to capture new domestic and export opportunities by offering a high-performance, reliable and efficient Australian-built RIB.