The second of the Royal Australian Navy’s two new Supply class auxiliary oiler replenishment (AOR) ships, HMAS Stalwart, has successfully been declared “mission ready” after it successfully conducted its first underway replenishment at sea (RAS).

The RAS was accomplished with the ANZAC class frigate, HMAS Parramatta – which was hosting Chief of Navy VADM Mike Noonan at the time – off the NSW coast on May 18, and follows a six-month period of work-ups after Stalwart was commissioned in November 2021.

“There’s been a lot of hard work and training leading up to this point, and the entire ship’s company is incredibly proud of what we have achieved,” Commanding Officer of HMAS Stalwart, CMDR Steve McCracken said in a Navy release.

“Today we have successfully proved a number of vital systems that all came together in performing a replenishment at sea, from ship-handling to the actual transfer of supplies, and it’s all credit to all involved that the evolution went so well.”

HMA Ships Stalwart and Supply are based on Navantia’s Cantabria class AOR, and were selected in 2016 through the Project SEA 1654 Phase 3 Maritime Operational Support Capability – Replenishment Ships requirement to replace the former HMA Ships Sirius and Success in RAN service.