New Zealand Navy's largest ever ship Aotearoa, built by Hyundai Heavy Industries, is on its way to New Zealand, after Hyundai held a departure ceremony in its shipyard in South Korea on Wednesday.
Ordered in 2016, the $493 million Aotearoa is an Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment (AOR) vessel that will be used to support Royal New Zealand Navy’s combat operations, humanitarian relief functions, and operational and training support.
The vessel is built according to the Rolls-Royce Environship concept design, with a wave-piercing bow which reduces resistance and lowers fuel burn.
It is ice-strengthened to Polar Class level 6 for Southern Ocean monitoring and Antarctic operations including the resupply of McMurdo Station and Scott Base.
The 173 meters long Aotearoa will provide global sustainment to New Zealand and coalition maritime, land and air units, and United Nations security operations through resupply of ship and aviation fuel, dry goods, water, spare parts, and ammunition.
The 26,000-ton tanker and replenishment ship that is the largest the New Zealand Navy has ever operated.
It will replace the fleet tanker Endeavour that decommissioned in December 2017 after more than 30 years of service. New Plymouth will be the Home Port of Aotearoa.
New Zealand’s largest-ever navy ship built by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) departed for the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN).
HHI announced today that it held a sail-off ceremony for RNZN’s the latest 26,000-ton logistics support vessel,HMNZS Aotearoa on June 10.
The vessel, measuring 173.2m in length and 24.5m in width will support operations for RNZN through supplying fuel, food, water and ammunition.
The ceremony held at HHI’s headquarter in Ulsan, Korea, was attended by Mr. Nam Sang-hoon, Senior Executive Vice President of HHI, Mr. Philip Turner, New Zealand Ambassador of Korea, and Major General Sung Il, Director General for International Cooperation of Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).
The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) deployed ROKS Daecheong (AOE-58) to the ceremony to wish for a safe voyage of Aotearoa.
The departure is notable that Korea successfully exported logistics support vessel based on advanced technology to the country that sent warships to Korea during the Korean War.
In addition, Korea and New Zealand have been building trust relations, with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration and the New Zealand Ministry of National Defense signing a “Defense Material Cooperation Arrangement” last year to expand cooperation in the defense sector between the two countries.
“We are honored to have demonstrated our excellent naval ship design and construction capabilities by delivering HMNZS Aotearoa despite COVID-19.”
Senior Executive Vice President of HHI Mr. Nam
“We’d like to thank HHI for its efforts to ensure the successful delivery of the Royal New Zealand Navy’s largest-ever ship. The close cooperation between HHI and its subcontractors and New Zealand Ministry of Defence Project Team on the basis of mutual trust is what made the delivery of the ship possible. We expect the ship which is as versatile as its size will be able to carry out many activities, including disaster relief activities.”
New Zealand Ambassador in Korea Mr. Philip
A Senior Executive Vice President of HHI Mr. Nam said, “We are honored to have demonstrated our excellent naval ship design and construction capabilities by delivering HMNZS Aotearoa despite COVID-19.”
Check out Naval Library App to find out the specifications of HMNZS Aotearoa
Since the delivery of the first Korean-built frigate ROKS Ulsan in 1980, HHI has played a pivotal role in the modernization of ROK Navy designing major warships. And evidently it now expands its service to worldwide navies with advanced, affordable warships. HHI is now focusing its capabilities on the concept design of the LPX-II aircraft carrier, while also speeding up preparations for the Korean future destroyer KDDX project.
