So now that HMNZS AOTEAROA is christened, what are the stats, and her capabilities?

In 2020 the Royal New Zealand Navy will take delivery of HMNZS AOTEAROA a Polar-class logistics support vessel built by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) for the Royal New Zealand Navy as part of the Maritime Sustainment Capability (MSC) project. She is a 26,000-tonne tanker and replenishment ship or Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment (AOR) that will be largest the Navy has ever operated. 

The ship is a unique vessel built to replace the tanker HMNZS ENDEAVOUR (decommissioned in December 2017) to provide global sustainment to New Zealand and coalition maritime, land and air units. Sustainment is primarily provided through resupply of fuel and secondarily through resupply of dry goods, water, spare parts or ammunition. Aotearoa will be the largest ship the RNZN has ever operated and is scheduled to deliver the ship to the Navy in 2020, and it will enter into service in 2021. 

HMNZS AOTEAROA will bear New Zealand's Māori name. Aotearoa is commonly translated "the land of the long white cloud". The motto for the ship will be Kōkiritia: Onward. Kōkiritia means to thrust forward, champion a cause, advance, lead or advocate. Onward was the motto that was adopted by HMS NEW ZEALAND. Bringing the two together in Te Reo and English reinforces the bicultural nature of the RNZN, while referencing our history.

AOTEAROA will boast state of the art design and capability features including ice-strengthening and ‘winterisation’ features for operations in Antarctica. She will also be able to carry 12 containers of supplies and have the ability to produce 100 tonnes of freshwater each day which will make her invaluable when providing humanitarian aid and disaster relief.

Aotearoa's two desalination plants will be able to make 100,000L of fresh water every day  In a humanitarian disaster, Aotearoa can support the water needs for basic sustenance and hygiene requirements of up to 5,000 people.

She will carry 8000 tonnes of fuel enough to ‘fill-up’ a frigate like TE MANA or TE KAHA 13.87 times. 1500  tonnes of aviation fuel and 250 tonnes of freshwater. She’ll be able to carry and operate a RNZAF NH90 helicopter. Aotearoa will have a core crew of 64 plus 11 flight crew.

• Total liquid cargo capacity 9,750 tonnes (including freshwater)
• Dry goods cargo capacity 22 x twenty-foot equivalent units
• Crew 64

AOTEAROA will integrate the Rolls-Royce Environship concept design. This design is supposed to reduce drag and help with fuel efficiency. She is the first military ship to adopt this design.

Unlike her predecessor HMNZS Endeavour, HMNZS AOTEAROA will be armed with a Phalanx CIWS (Fitted for but not with), as well as two mini typhoons, and most likely a couple of heavy machine guns ie .50cal's.

Possible missions include Humanitarian and Disaster Relief, support to United Nations security operations, support to a coalition Naval Task Group, or Antarctic resupply. Capabilities supporting these missions include the ability to carry 12 twenty foot shipping containers, high capacity fresh water generation plants, selfdefence systems, aviation and marine fuel cargo tanks, dual all-electric replenishment at sea rigs, one organic SH-2G(NZ) Seasprite or NH90 medium utility helicopter, integrated communications and bridge systems, an integrated platform management system and winterisation features such as upper deck heating and ice strengthened hull.

AOTEAROA is built to the exacting standards of the Lloyds Register of Shipping and of the International Maritime Organisation. These standards ensure that the RNZN continues to meet its commitments as a responsible ship operator now and into the future. Some design features to support these commitments include a hull design to reduce through life fuel use, electric power take-in propulsion for use at low speeds. Selective Catalytic Reducers to reduce harmful NOx exhaust emmissions, and adherence to Polar Code safety regulations and ice-strengthened to Polar Class level 6 for Antarctic operations.

• From concept to launching - HMNZS Aotearoa
• New Zealand’s largest Navy ship christened in South Korea
• Sharing knowledge - HMNZS Aotearoa training.
• Photo's of HMNZS Aotearoa

Specs

Delivery: Mid 2020
Homeport: New Plymouth, Taranaki
Ship sponsor: The Governor-General of New Zealand, Dame Patsy Reddy GNZM, QSO, DStJ
Class: Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment (AOR)
Builder: Hyundai Heavy Industries, Ulsan, South Korea
Length: 173.2m
Beam: 24.5m
Draught: 8.5m
Displacement: 26,000t
Maximum Speed: 16kt
Propulsion: Combined Diesel Electric and Diesel (CODLAD) provided by 2 x Bergen B33:45L9P diesels supplemented by 2 x electric power take in motors. 2 x flap rudders and 2 x controllable pitch propellors.
Power generation: 4 x 2.6MW MTU 20V4000M53B, 1 x 410kw STX KTA19DMGE emergency generator
Range: 6,750 nautical miles (11,900 km; 7,400 mi)
Design speed: 16 knots
Capacity: 8,000T Diesel, 1,500T Aviation Fuel, 250T Fresh Water, Stowage for up to 22 × 20ft containers. 4 containers can store ammunition.
Complement:  98 Total, 64 Core Crew, 11 Flight, 14 Trainees
Sensors: Farsounder-1000 sonar, 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. Kelvin Hughes’s Integrated Navigation Bridge System.
Armament: 1 × Phalanx CIWS(FFBNW), 2x mini-typhoon. As well a couple of HMG or 50 cal's
Aircraft: 1 x  SH-2G(NZ) Seasprite or NH90 with full hangar facilities. The flight deck can handle a Chinook sized helo 

Datasheet download here

So with stats like this, she will be capable of;

In short, she will be a very capable ship, capable of a wide variety of tasks. My final word is I hope they have done enough study and research on the design. I won't be able to fault the Koreans and their workmanship, but the actual design is another story. But a 1/2 billion-dollar price tag I really really hope she serves us well.