Supply Class AORs

The Supply Class AORs play a crucial role in providing operational support to the Navy’s fleet by supplying fuel, ammunition, and essential stores.

Based on the Navantia-designed and built CSS Cantabria, currently in service with the Spanish Navy, the Supply Class AORs were created to replenish various supplies including fuels, dry cargo, water, food, ammunition, equipment, and spare parts for Australian naval and combat forces deployed far from ports for extended durations. Naval vessels commonly encounter challenges in sustaining extended operations at sea or in reaching remote areas, which can be addressed by ensuring adequate supplies like fuel, food, personnel, and ammunition.

The Supply Class AORs can resupply up to three ships simultaneously with fuel, water, food, ammunition, and other essential resources in open ocean conditions. It features a fully functioning hospital, container transport capabilities, and substantial tank capacity, allowing it to conduct humanitarian missions and provide medical aid during disasters and environmental crises.

The AORs fuel storage, wastewater, and other cargo tanks are double-hulled, adding an extra layer of environmental and defensive protection. CSS Cantabria has been recognised as a Green Ship fulfilling all MARPOL-SOLAS criteria and certified by Lloyd’s Register, a first for military vessels.

In 2012, the Commonwealth of Australia sought information from Navantia regarding CSS Cantabria, its capabilities and compatibility with other Navantia vessels integrated into the Royal Australian Navy fleet.

Several months later, an agreement was signed between the Spanish and Australian Navies to deploy CSS Cantabria to Australia from February to November 2013. This deployment enabled a thorough evaluation of the vessel’s capabilities through 58 resupply operations and the comprehensive training of a 284-member crew, while also testing the ship’s interoperability with other fleet units.

In 2016, Navantia secured a contract to construct two Supply Class Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment vessels (AORs) to replace the ageing HMA Ships Success and Sirius. Australian Industry played a vital role in the construction of the AORs, which saw an investment of more than $120 million in local products, skills, and expertise. 4,500 tonnes of steel was locally-sourced from BlueScope Steel, the Combat Management System was sourced from Saab Australia, and the Communications System provided by Raytheon Australia. The Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS) for the AORs was developed in Australia by NSAG, Navantia’s joint venture with Adelaide-based SAGE Automation, and Taylor Bros provided various services, including hospital, laundry, and gallery fit-outs.

The keel of HMAS Supply was laid in November of 2017 and was launched 12 months later. HMAS Supply was commissioned in April of 2021, with her sister ship HMAS Stalwart commissioned in November of that same year.

We provide top-tier, in-country support to the Supply Class AORs through life.

In 2020, Navantia Australia was entrusted with managing the initial five years of sustainment for HMA Ships Supply and Stalwart. As the design authority for the Supply Class AORs, Navantia Australia provides essential configuration and baseline management as part of the comprehensive life support for these vessels.

Navantia Australia’s sustainment of the AORs saw consecutive Extended Maintenance Periods (EMPs) complete more than 95% of the contracted scope be completed under budget and on schedule. The AOR sustainment teams also successfully completed reparative maintenance within short timeframes, successfully replacing and aligning HMAS Stalwarts strut bearing and shaft within a six-day timeframe without the need for the vessel to enter dry dock. This enabled HMAS Stalwart to rapidly return to operational capability. Through our position as responsible for the sustainment of the AORs, we took the opportunity to train Australian industry partners in executing complex sustainment tasks, contributing to the develop of Australia’s sovereign shipbuilding and sustainment industry.

Navantia Australia has been given design authority for the Supply Class AORs through best-practice transfer of technology procedures and a localisation of Navantia’s Australian activities to our 99% locally-engaged workforce. Our through life support is currently performed by our experienced field engineers based out of HMAS Kuttabul in Sydney and HMAS Stirling in Perth, strongly supported by their peers in our Melbourne Naval Design and Engineering Centre.

In 2025, Navantia Australia was contracted to provide comprehensive design and engineering support to the Hobart Class Destroyers (DDGs), Canberra Class Landing Helicopter Docks (LHDs), LHD Landing Craft (LLCs), and Supply Class Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment Vessels (AORs) under the Designer Support Contract (DSC). The DSC scope amalgamated Navantia Australia’s extant Support Services contracts for the Royal Australian Navy’s DDGs, LHDs, LLCs, and AORs, as well as the Platform System Designer Deed into the one contractual arrangement. Introduced under the Maritime Sustainment Model, the DSC utilises Navantia Australia’s deep product knowledge and baseline management to facilitate design integrity throughout sustainment and continuous improvement activities.