The Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) commissioned its new fleet tanker/replenishment vessel, HMNZS Aotearoa (A 11), in a ceremony held on 29 July at Devonport Naval Base in Auckland. After a short period of specialist equipment fit-out the 173.2 m-long auxiliary oiler replenishment (AOR) vessel, which is replacing decommissioned fleet replenishment tanker Endeavour, will conduct sea trials before embarking on a series of port visits, said the RNZN in a statement. Aotearoa, which is now the largest vessel in service with the RNZN, had sailed into Auckland Harbour on 26 June following a 15-day journey from the South Korean coastal city of Ulsan, where it was built by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI).
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