HMNZS Canterbury Begins Dry Dock Maintenance

New Zealand's multirole vessel (MRV), HMNZS Canterbury, has begun an approximately two-month long dry dock maintenance period in Singapore on 20 August 2021.  The necessary refurnishment will enable the MRV to maintain mission readinese in its primary role of maritime survey. 

HMNZS Canterbury was commissioned in 2007. It is based on a modified  Dutch 131m roll-on/roll-off (RORO) passenger ferry designed by Merwede Shipyard, Netherlands. It completed its outfitting in Australia in June 2007. The MRV is ice-strengthened for polar operations, and has thr ability to transport a company of 250 combat troops and equipment.

The 9000 ton ship is so large that it cannot fit into any dry dock in New Zealand. A ship typically undergo dry dock maintenance every five years. ST Marine's shipyard at Benoi, Singapore has two dry docks. The larger one can accommodate vessels up to 70,000 ton, 240m long and 41.8m wide. 

New Zealand Buy P-8 Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft

New Zealand has agreed to a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) buy of four Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft from the United States Government.

The aircraft will replace the Royal New Zealand Air Force's (RNZAF) six aging P-3K2 Orion maritime patrol aircraft that have been in operation since the 1960s. The current Orion fleet is expected to each the end of their operational life in 2025. The new aircraft, training systems and associated infrastructure will cost a total of $2.346 billion. The aircraft will be delivered and begin operations from 2023.

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