Navantia Lays Keel for Australian’s Future Replenishment Oiler, HMAS Supply

22 November 2017

Lays keel for Australian’s future replenishment oiler, HMAS Supply (photo : DefPost)

Spanish shipbuilder, Navantia has laid the keel for the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) future Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment (AOR) vessel, HMAS Supply during a ceremony at its shipyard in Ferrol, Spain on Nov. 17.

The keel laying ceremony was attended by the Chief of the RAN, Admiral Tim Barrett and the president of Navantia, Esteban García Vilasánchez.

Supply, one of the two AOR contracted by RAN, will be delivered in two years, with full operational capability scheduled for 2022. The second vessel, HMAS Stalwart will be delivered nine months after the first one.

The Navy had earlier named of its future support ships as HMAS Supply and HMAS Stalwart as was announced by the country’s Minister for Defence, Marise Payne.

Supply will be the second vessel in the Royal Australian Navy to bear the name that has its origins with the armed tender ship that accompanied the First Fleet to Australia. Stalwart is being named after two previous Australian Navy vessels, one a destroyer that served between 1920 and 1925 and the second destroyer tender served from 1968 to 1990.

The ships will be known as Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment (AOR) vessels and will replace the current RAN replenisment ships, HMAS Success and HMAS Sirius. 

The two AOR vessels were ordered in May 9 last year as part of RAN’s Project SEA1654. They will be based on Spanish Navy replenishment oiler, Cantabria (A15).

SPS Cantabria (A15)

Cantabria (A15) is a Spanish Navy replenishment oiler commissioned in 2010.

Cantabria has a displacement of 19,500 tons, is 170.4 metres (559 ft) in length, has a beam of 23 metres (75 ft), and a draught of 8 metres (26 ft).

Propulsion is provided by two diesel engines, supplying 10,890 kW (14,600 hp) to a single propeller shaft, which is fitted with a controllable-pitch propeller. Cantabria has a maximum sustained speed of 20 knots, and a range of 6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km).

The ship’s capacity includes 8,920 cubic metres (315,000 cu ft) of ship fuel, 1,585 cubic metres (56,000 cu ft) of JP-5 jet fuel, 215 cubic metres (7,600 cu ft) of fresh water, 280 tons of ammunition, and 470 tons of general cargo. The fuel storage areas are double-hulled. Cantabria can replenish three ships simultaneously; one on each side, plus a third via a stern refueling station.

She can carry three Agusta-Bell AB.212, two Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King, or two NHI NH90 helicopters to perform vertical replenishment. The ship’s crew complement is 122.

(DefPost)