RMIS Lomor, under the Command of Captain Dennis Jibas, is expected to depart Majuro Saturday June 4 for on a 2,200 nautical mile journey to Australia.
Lomor will be undertaking a lengthy refit at NORSHIP Shipyard in Cairns, Queensland over the next 26 weeks. This maintenance activity is fully funded by Australia under the Defense Cooperation Program, locally managed in Majuro by LCDR George McKenzie and CPO Mick Grant of the Royal Australian Navy, and will be the last extensive refit prior Lomor’s replacement with a new and larger patrol boat, to be donated by Australia, in early 2023.
During the passage Lomor will stop at Honiara, Solomon Islands and will embark six Vanuatu Police Maritime Wing personnel for the passage to Cairns.
Captain Jibas said “This will enhance regional cooperation, and will provide much needed refresher training for the Vanuatu Maritime personnel, who have been without their Patrol Boat, RVS Tukoro, since she was damaged during Cyclone Pam in 2015.”
Sea Patrol members will return to Majuro June 17. They fly back to Australia in Mid-November for post-refit training.
During Lomor’s absence further Pacific Partnerships will be evident when a FSM patrol boat will provide assistance to the Marshall Islands by conducting patrols through the RMI Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Read more about this in the June 3, 2016 edition of the Marshall Islands Journal.