HMAS Supply Out of Action Due to Crooked Propeller Shaft

Photo: Lucinda Allanson/Royal Australian Navy

A newly delivered Navy supply ship, HMAS Supply, has been out of commission for over a year due to a crooked propeller shaft. Australia’s Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, expressed his disappointment over the significant defects that rendered the ship unusable. “There are defects in the design and delivery of the ship, the ship remains under repair,” he stated at a parliamentary hearing on June 6.

The Navy is currently repairing the vessel with the help of Spanish shipbuilder Navantia, who has accepted responsibility for the defect and is covering the repair costs. However, Vice Admiral Hammond noted that Australia will not be compensated for the loss of capability during the ship’s downtime. The HMAS Supply is expected to be out of the water until at least 2025, with a new propeller shaft from Europe potentially taking 40 weeks to arrive.

The issue came to light during a bearing review, and the ship remains under repair at Garden Island in Sydney. The HMAS Supply is an Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment (AOR) vessel, designed to provide operational support for naval forces. The contract for two supply ships and associated infrastructure cost taxpayers $1.3 billion.