Australia’s HMAS Supply Completes First Replenishment at Sea

HMAS Supply, one of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN)’s two new Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment (AOR) ships, has completed its first ever Replenishment at Sea (RAS) with HMAS Anzac.

The vessel was commissioned by the Navy in April 2021. Carrying fuel, water, food, parts and dry cargo, the AORs will primarily provide logistics replenishment to naval combat units at sea. They will also be able to support Humanitarian and Disaster Relief operations domestically and regionally.

AOR ships are built by Spain’s Navantia as part of a contract awarded in May 2016. These two new ships will replace the Navy’s HMAS Success and HMAS Sirius.

NSAG, Navantia’s joint venture with Adelaide-based SAGE Automation, is providing Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS) for Supply and Stalwart. Saab and Raytheon are supplying the combat management systems and communications systems, respectively.

Supply’s first RAS took place off Australia’s east coast and involved the transfer of diesel fuel to Anzac. Successful completion of the RAS means Supply is well on the way to achieving initial operating capability.

So far, the ship has completed combat survivability training, man overboard exercises, boarding party training, gunnery and warfare training and been rocked through a sea state six and executed a Heavy Jackstay trial – the first completed in the RAN since HMAS Success’s last Heavy Jackstay in 2018.