HMNZS Aotearoa
HMNZS Aotearoa (Māori: [aɔˈtɛaɾɔa]), formerly the Maritime Sustainment Capability project, is an auxiliary ship of the Royal New Zealand Navy. Builder Hyundai Heavy Industries delivered the ship to the Navy in June 2020[6], and she was commissioned into service on 29 July 2020. Full operational capability is expected to be achieved in 2021. [7] It will serve as a replenishment oiler, and will replace HMNZS Endeavour, the Navy’s last fleet oiler, decommissioned in December 2017.
History | |
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Name: | HMNZS Aotearoa |
Namesake: | Maori for New Zealand |
Ordered: | 2016 |
Builder: | Hyundai Heavy Industries |
Laid down: | 13 August 2018 |
Launched: | 24 April 2019 |
Sponsored by: | Patsy Reddy |
Christened: | 25 October 2019[1] |
Commissioned: | 29 July 2020[2] |
In service: | Expected 2021 |
Homeport: | New Plymouth |
Status: | Delivered, working up to service entry [3][4] |
General characteristics | |
Displacement: | 26,000 t (26,000 long tons) |
Length: | 173.2 m (568 ft 3 in) |
Beam: | 24.5 m (80 ft 5 in) |
Draft: | 8.5 m (27 ft 11 in) |
Propulsion: | CODLAD 2 x Bergen main engines and 4 x MTU generators |
Speed: | 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) |
Range: | 6,400 nautical miles (11,900 km; 7,400 mi) |
Capacity: |
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Complement: |
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Sensors and processing systems: | Farsounder-1000 sonar. Sharpeye S and X band navigation radars. |
Armament: | 1 × Phalanx CIWS, 2x Mini Typhoon, various small arms. |
Aircraft carried: | 1 x helicopter SH-2G, NH90, or A109LUH with full hangar facilities |
External video | |
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Aotearoa is the largest ship the Royal New Zealand Navy has ever operated.[8]
Name
HMNZS Aotearoa bears New Zealand's Māori name. Aotearoa is commonly translated "the land of the long white cloud".[9]
Design and description
Aotearoa is the world’s first naval ship to adopt Rolls-Royce’s Environship concept design, which includes a new wave-piercing hull for reduced resistance and fuel consumption. The ship is also ice-strengthened and winterised to facilitate operations in Antarctica’s extreme weather conditions.[10]
Aotearoa is intended to support other navy warships by enabling re-fueling (diesel) and re-supplying (food and ammunition) during operations. The 26,000 tonne ship will provide marine diesel and aviation fuel along with limited food and ammunition stored in 20 ft containers.[11]
Aotearoa will be equipped with the Farsounder-1000 sonar.[12] The Aotearoa will be equipped with a Kelvin Hughes Integrated Naval Bridge System, The navigation radar sensors selected are to be SharpEye S and X-Band and one S-Band SharpEye sensor optimised for helicopter approach and control.[13]
Aotearoa is armed with a single Phalanx CIWS and two Mini Typhoon mounts. The ship also has a flight deck and a hangar for helicopter operations.
Construction
The contract was awarded to Hyundai Heavy Industries using a Rolls Royce Environship concept design, which won over competition from Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering offering a variant of the BMT designed Royal Fleet Auxiliary Tide class tanker.[14] The ship was laid down on 13 August 2018.[15] It was launched in April 2019, began builders sea trials in December of that year and was formally delivered in June 2020.[16][17] It was originally intended to be delivered in January 2020, but its departure from the shipyard in South Korea was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.[18]
References
- "NZ Navy's Aotearoa is christened in Korea". Radio New Zealand. 26 October 2019. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
- "HMNZS Aotearoa: Largest ever Navy ship commissioned in emotional ceremony". Stuff News. 29 July 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
- https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2019/12/hhi-starts-builder-trials-of-royal-new-zealand-navy-new-auxiliary-ship/
- https://www.naval-technology.com/news/hhi-delivers-rnzn-hmnzs-aotearoa-logistics-support-vessel/
- "HMNZS Aotearoa: Factsheet" (PDF). Royal New Zealand Navy. 3 August 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
- https://www.naval-technology.com/news/hhi-delivers-rnzn-hmnzs-aotearoa-logistics-support-vessel/
- "Feature: Behind the Scenes of Aotearoa". Medium (Blog post). New Zealand Defence Force. 10 April 2018. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
- "'Aotearoa' The Name Chosen for Navy's Largest Ship" (Press release). Royal New Zealand Navy. 10 April 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
- "Swirling cloud captured above New Zealand - 'The Land of the Long White Cloud'". Telegraph.co.uk. 22 January 2009. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
- "HMNZS Aotearoa Logistics Support Vessel - Naval Technology". Naval Technology. Retrieved 2018-03-18.
- "HMNZS Aotearoa - Badge Competition". HMNZS Aotearoa - Badge Competition. Retrieved 2018-03-18.
- "FarSounder Sonar for Royal New Zealand Navy Future HMNZS Aotearoa Tanker". Navy Recognition. Retrieved 2018-05-16.
- "New Zealand Navy's largest ship to feature Kelvin Hughes navigation systems". Navy Recognition. Retrieved 2019-02-13.
- "Hyundai Heavy beats out Daewoo Shipbuilding to win $493m contract for ice-capable NZ tanker". The National Business Review. 2016-07-18. Retrieved 2018-03-18.
- "'Birth Day' of New Zealand's Largest-Ever Navy Ship". Scoop Politics. NZDF press release. 14 August 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
- https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2019/12/hhi-starts-builder-trials-of-royal-new-zealand-navy-new-auxiliary-ship/
- https://www.naval-technology.com/news/hhi-delivers-rnzn-hmnzs-aotearoa-logistics-support-vessel/
- https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300040365/hmnzs-aotearoa-navys-largest-ever-ship-finally-on-its-way-to-new-zealand