[4][5] In 2004, Oceanic Viking was converted to an armed patrol vessel and bareboat chartered to P&O Maritime Services, who operated the ship for the Australian Customs Marine Unit.

[10] During the seven-week surveillance exercise, personnel aboard Oceanic Viking filmed Japanese whalers and their activities to gather evidence for possible legal action.

[11] The Australian government regarded the operation as successful,[13] but it was criticised by some political commentators, such as Dennis Shanahan, as not having been effective in countering Japanese whaling, and potentially harming Japanese-Australian relations.

[14] In October 2009, Oceanic Viking was involved in an operation to apprehend 78 Sri Lankan asylum seekers and move them to an Australia-funded immigration detention centre on the Indonesian island of Bintan for processing.

[20] The European Supporter was fitted out at A&P Tyne, so she would be able to install power cables between wind turbines to take advantage of the rapidly expanding offshore renewables market in the UK and Europe.

Other work included a major overhaul of the generators, modifications to the steelwork inside the hangar accommodating the ROVs and to the switchboard, electrical repairs and refurbishment of the pumps.