The ''Supply'' class is a

class Class or The Class may refer to: Common uses not otherwise categorized * Class (biology), a taxonomic rank * Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects * Class (philosophy), an analytical concept used differentl ...

replenishment oiler A replenishment oiler or replenishment tanker is a naval auxiliary ship with fuel tanks and dry cargo holds which can supply both fuel and dry stores during underway replenishment (UNREP) at sea. Many countries have used replenishment oilers. The ...

s of the

Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...

, a role that combines the missions of a tanker and stores supply ship. As such they are designated

auxiliary oiler replenisher A replenishment oiler or replenishment tanker is a naval auxiliary ship with fuel tanks and dry cargo holds which can supply both fuel and dry stores during underway replenishment (UNREP) at sea. Many countries have used replenishment oilers. The ...

(AOR). They are tasked with providing ammunition, fuel, food and other supplies to

vessels around the world. There are two ships in the class, and . The project is expected to cost anywhere between $1 and $2 billion.

Navantia Navantia is a Spanish state-owned shipbuilding company, which offers its services to both military and civil sectors. It is the fifth-largest shipbuilder in Europe and the ninth-largest in the world with shipyards around the globe. The heir to t ...

were selected to build a design based on the

Spanish Navy The Spanish Navy or officially, the Armada, is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces and one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Spanish Navy was responsible for a number of major historic achievements in navigation, ...

's current replenishment vessel , which entered service in 2011.

Planning

A number of designs were considered by the Australian Government for their replacement tankers, with Navantia competing against the Aegir variant of the built by South Korea's

DSME Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd ( ko, 대우조선해양; abbreviated DSME) is one of the "Big Three" shipbuilders of South Korea, along with Hyundai and Samsung. History On 21 February 2011, the A. P. Moller-Maersk Group (Ma ...

in a restricted tender competition. Navantia's proposal based on ''Cantabria'' was announced as the successful design in the Australian tender in March 2016, with an expected in service date for the first of two vessels of late 2019.

Construction

The class of ships based on Navantia's replenishment oiler were built at the Navantia shipyard in Ferrol, Spain. The first ship, ''Supply'', arrived at Fleet Base West in October 2020 to begin fitting Australia-specific equipment prior to her service entry in April 2021. The second ship, ''Stalwart'', departed for Australia in May 2021 and arrived in late June.

Operational history

HMAS ''Supply'' commissioned at Fleet Base East on 10 April 2021. HMAS ''Stalwart'' commissioned at Fleet Base West on 13 November 2021.

Ships

Gallery

Citations

External links

Official RAN page for Supply-class AOR

Launch of Nuship ''Supply''

Rear above view of launch of Nuship ''Supply''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Supply class replenishment oiler Auxiliary replenishment ship classes Tankers of the Royal Australian Navy