The Government of New Zealand has given approval for the acquisition of a dive and hydrographic support vessel to be used by the Royal New Zealand Navy.
Owned and operated by Norwegian company Østensjø Rederi, the MV Edda Fonn multi-role offshore support vessel will provide new capabilities to the New Zealand Navy fleet.
The total project budget for acquiring, upgrading and introducing the vessel into service is valued at NZ$103m ($68.99m).
New Zealand Defence Minister Ron Mark said: “The MV Edda Fonn will be a great addition to the navy. Not only will it meet the government’s needs, it will be in service three years earlier than a newly built ship would have been.
“This vessel will ensure that the current capability gaps for diving and hydrography are filled as quickly as possible, with a proven, well-tested platform.”
Once purchased, the 85m-long ship will be equipped with the dive and hydrographic systems required by the New Zealand Defence Force.
The offshore support vessel is due to be delivered to the Royal New Zealand Navy at the Devonport Naval Base in May.
MV Edda Fonn has been designed to replace the legacy ships HMNZS Resolution and HMNZS Manawanui, which were decommissioned from service in 2012 and 2018 respectively.
The vessel features new advanced capabilities such as a 100t salvage crane, a remotely operated vehicle, and a contemporary dynamic positioning system.
It will be able to deliver improved capacity, speed, safety and capability compared to previously used navy ships.
Once delivered, final modifications on the ship will be carried out in New Zealand and the vessel is expected to be in service by November next year.
