HMNZS Aoratea in South Korea getting fitted out
| 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 |
| Armament: | 1 × Phalanx CIWS |
| Aircraft carried: | 1 x NH90 with full hangar facilities |
HMNZS Aotearoa (Māori: [aɔˈtɛaɾɔa]), formerly the Maritime Sustainment Capability project, is an auxiliary ship under construction for the Royal New Zealand Navy. Builder Hyundai Heavy Industries is scheduled to deliver the ship to the Navy in 2020, and it will enter into service in 2021. It will serve as a replenishment oiler, and will replace HMNZS Endeavour, the Navy’s last fleet oiler, decommissioned in December 2017.
Aotearoa will be the largest ship the RNZN has ever operated.
Aotearoa will be 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 will also be ice-strengthened and winterised to facilitate operations in Antarctica’s extreme weather conditions.
The 26,000 tonne ship will provide marine diesel and aviation fuel along with limited food and ammunition stored in 20 ft containers.
The Aotearoa will be equipped with the Farsounder-1000 sonar.
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.
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. The ship was laid down on 13 August 2018.
