The ''Supply'' class is a

class Class, Classes, 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 d ...

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. Th ...

s of the

Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the navy, naval branch of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (Australia), Chief of Navy (CN) Vice admiral (Australia), Vice Admiral Mark Hammond (admiral), Ma ...

, a role that combines the missions of a tanker and stores supply ship. As such they are designated auxiliary oiler replenisher (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 enterprise dedicated to civil and military naval construction, the design of deep-tech systems and the manufacture of structures for the renewable energy sector, such as offshore wind or hydrogen. ...

were selected to build a design based on the Spanish Navy'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 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.

Mechanical defects

In March 2023, a mechanical defect relating to the shaft alignment was found on HMAS ''Supply''. The ship returned to Garden Island where it was to be repaired by Navantia under warranty. In June 2024, it was reported that HMAS ''Supply'' could remain out of service for another year despite being sidelined for repairs over 14 months previously. In the same month, it was reported that HMAS ''Stalwart'' had been sidelined due to mechanical problems relating to its engine. As a result, the Royal Australian Navy currently has no operational replenishment oilers as of 2024. The vessels were anticipated to remain out of service until 2025.

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