Supply-class
Commissioned by the Royal Australian Navy in 2021, the Supply-class replenishment oiler is a Navantia design derived from the Spanish Cantabria, carrying fuel, dry stores and ammunition.
| Subtype | Replenishment oiler |
| Displacement | 19500 tons |
| Crew | 122 members |
| Width | 23.0 m (75.5 ft) |
| Length | 173.9 m (570.5 ft) |
| Propulsion | * 2 × MAN 18V 32/40 main engines |
| Range | 6000 km at 13 knots |
| Maximum speed | 20 knots |
- 1 × 20mm Phalanx CIWS
- 2 × 25mm Typhoon Weapon Stations
- 4 × 12.7mm heavy machine guns
- 1 helicopter
Description
The Supply class is a class of two auxiliary oiler replenishers (AOR) operated by the Royal Australian Navy. The Australian Government selected Navantia to build the vessels under a restricted tender competition, in which the Spanish design competed against the Aegir variant of the Tide-class tanker proposed by South Korea's DSME. Navantia's design, based on the Spanish Navy's replenishment vessel Cantabria, was selected in March 2016. Both ships of the class, HMAS Supply and HMAS Stalwart, were built at the Navantia shipyard in Ferrol, Spain.
These vessels combine the roles of a tanker and a stores supply ship. They are configured to provide fuel, ammunition, food, and other dry stores to Royal Australian Navy vessels at sea.
HMAS Supply was laid down in November 2017 and launched in November 2018. The vessel arrived in Australia in October 2020 to undergo the installation of Australia-specific equipment and entered service at Fleet Base East in April 2021. HMAS Stalwart was laid down in November 2018, launched in August 2019, and arrived in Australia in June 2021. It entered service at Fleet Base West in November 2021.
The class has experienced operational interruptions due to mechanical defects. In March 2023, a defect relating to the shaft alignment was identified on HMAS Supply, requiring the vessel to return to Garden Island for warranty repairs by Navantia. In June 2024, HMAS Stalwart was sidelined due to engine defects, leaving the Royal Australian Navy with no operational replenishment oilers at that time. Both vessels were anticipated to remain out of service until 2025. HMAS Stalwart resumed operations in late 2025 after repairs were completed.