- Yes - In the Tech Tree.
- Yes - Event/BP.
- Yes - Premium.
- No - I would not like to see HMNZS Wellington in game.
HMNZS Wellington sailing off Bluff, NZ, 2012
Background:
HMNZS Wellington is one of two Protector-class Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) used by the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN). This class of vessel was designed as to patrol New Zealand’s southerly and Antarctic waters with regards to fishery and resource protection, patrol & surveillance, and Humanitarian missions within New Zealand’s EEZ.
Development of the Protector-class would begin in February 2001, with the Maritime Patrol Review, which stated that the RNZN did not meet the patrol capabilities needed for EEZ patrol and inshore operations, as the RNZN is obligated to not only patrol NZ’s EEZ, but also the EEZ for allied south pacific island nations. Another requirement in this paper was the ability for the RNZN to conduct disaster relief throughout the region.
During this time the RNZN had the new ANZAC-class frigates HMNZS Te Kaha and Te Mana, but also the older Leander-class frigate HMNZS Canterbury, which was acting primarily as a training vessel, but also a patrol vessel in the Southern Ocean, as the RNZN’s Moa-class patrol vessels could not venture too far from shore due to their poor sea handling. The Canterbury was slated for replacement by 2005 due to her age, being commissioned into the RNZN in 1971.
This meant that the RNZN would fall to 2 vessels capable of patrolling this area by 2005, however this could be resolved with the ANZAC frigate project, as in the contract for Te Mana and Te Kaha, the RNZN could purchase another two vessels from Tenix if it wished, giving the RNZN four large vessels, enough to allow one vessel to be on patrol at all times. However, by May 2001, another paper, the Maritime Forces Review (MFR) was written. This stated that frigates were over capable of the job, wasting the RNZN’s limited fiances and personal numbers. The MFR also stated that if no new vessels were acquired, the 2 ANZACs were too few in number, and that any future overseas deployments might be canceled as the hulls were needed to patrol NZ’s own waters. It also found that the Moa-class IPVs were too poor sailors to continue into the future.
Thus under Project Protector two new patrol classes were designed and acquired, the Protector-class OPV, and the Lake-class IPV. As the timing of this project coincided with the replacement of the sealift vessel HMNZS Charles Upham (also known as HMNZS Chuck-Up), the acquisition of a new sealift vessel was rolled in with the patrol vessels under a single project. Project Protector would thus result in the RNZN purchasing seven ships, four IPVs, two OPVs, and the sealift vessel, however only the OPVs would bear the name of the project, being named Protector-class, while the IPVs became the Lake-class, and the sealift vessel was the Canterbury-class.
The Protectors-class’s hull form would be based upon a STX Canada Marine design in service with the Irish Naval Service, albeit with large modifications. This included a helicopter flight deck and hangar, neither of which are present in any Irish Naval Service vessel, level 1C Ice strengthening, and replacement of the 76mm OTO gun with a 25mm Bushmaster. Although the the class was designed by STX Canada Marine, however when that group was bought out by Vard Group in 2014, the design became known as the Vard 7 085.
Before 2004 the Protector-class was to have the OTO gun similarly to the Irish Naval Service Vessels, however in June 2004 it was decided to replace it with a 25mm Bushmaster, and use the now freed displacement for ice strengthening, allowing the new class to operate in the Ross Dependency. This was also done as “military and civilian threat [s] to territorial threats to the EEZ and NZ cannot be precisely differentiated”. This also allowed ammunition commonality with the Army’s NZLAV and 25mm mounts on the ANZAC-class.
This suggestion is for the second Protector-class OPV, HMNZS Wellington as she commissioned in 2010. She is the second of her name, the first being a Leander-class (Type 12I) Frigate.
HMNZS Wellington breaching a 14m Swell while en route to the Auckland Islands, 2014
History:
With the Design for the Protector-class finalised, Tenix Defence, would be selected as the builder, and both vessels would be ordered on the 29th of July 2004. Steel was cut in early 2005, with the superstructure being built in Whangarei, New Zealand and the main hull being and final assembly at Williamstown, Victoria, Australia. At the time of laying down expected delivery was in 2008, however, her hull was found ‘non-compliant’ to specifications, and she was delayed by two years during attempts to remedy this issue.
The largest issue with the Wellington was that the hull was estimated to be 300t overweight, mostly due to the ice strengthening, which in turn resulted in this ice strengthening sitting lower in the water than planned, reducing it’s effectiveness. These issues from the ice strengthening led to the RNZN estimating that the hulls had a lifespan of only 15 years instead of 25, due to the extra stresses placed on the hull from the defects.
With delivery of the Wellington to the RNZN planned for May 2010, and with a hull survey before final delivery revealing that the hull was only 100t overweight, and that the problems with the vessel were overblown. The future HMNZS Wellington’s delivery was accepted, and she would commission at Devonport in June 2010. As all seven ships of Project Protector had been delayed and had issues, BAE, who had purchased Tenix in June 2008, during the building of the RNZN’s fleet, had to pay $86.4 million NZD in settlement to the NZ government.
HMNZS Wellington’s first mission after trials was to search for the missing 47-foot pleasure Yacht Beserk in February 2011, after her EPIRB activated near the McMurdo Sound during a heavy storm. Wellington herself had to turn back due to the severity of this storm, with her Captain commenting that it was the worst storm in the area for at least 19 years. A life-raft of the Beserk was recovered by the Sea Shepard vessel MY Steve Irwin, however it was empty. All 3 people aboard the Beserk are missing presumed dead.
A year later in 2012, HMNZS Wellington would again be at sea in the Ross ice Shelf, and in this area was commended as performing well in sea state 7 seas, however it should be noted that if she was up to specification, she would be able to sail in much heavier seas and ice conditions.
In August 2014 HMNZS Wellington alongside her sister would be upgraded with new sensors, replacing the Vistar 350 day and night surveillance system with Rafael’s Toplite multi-sensor optronic payload, including a laser designator, tracker, and IR equipment. The MSI-DS25 mount for the 25mm Bushmaster was also replaced during this upgrade with a Typhoon RWS mount. These upgrades completed by the end of the year.
HMNZS Wellington sailing off Bluff, NZ, 2018
During continued operations in the Southern Ocean in January 2015, HMNZS Wellington would intercept three Illegal, unregistered, and unreported (IUU) fishing vessels in the Ross Dependency, these were the Songhua, Kunlun, and YongDing. All three were illegally fishing for Patagonian Toothfish.
After the 2016 Kaikōura earthquakes, HMNZS Wellington would provide seabed surveys as to establish the condition of the seabed ecologically, but also to see if any new hazards, such as sandbars, appeared, allowing shipping to safely enter the habour to deliver aid.
During the COVID-19 outbreak, HMNZS Wellington delivered 120 vials of the COVID-19 vaccine to the Nukunonu Atoll, of Tokelau in 2021, as Tokelau is a New Zealand dependency and thus relies on New Zealand for transportation of medical supplies. In the same year, she would deploy to the Solomon Islands due to political instability following the country ceasing to recognise Taiwan, and instead recognizing Mainland China. In this role she replaced HMAS Armidale, and conducted anti smuggling patrols to assist the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force.
In 2022 in company with the HMNZS Canterbury and Aotearoa, HMNZS Wellington would deploy to assist Tonga with relief after the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai eruption and tsunami. The three ships would provide food and water supplies, as well as survey teams and helicopter support to restore communications and allow for rescue operations.
Due to severe personal shortages within the RNZN, Both Protector-class OPVs were laid up in late 2022, unlike her sister Otago, HMNZS Wellington has not undergone any reactivation work, nor commissioned since.
Under the 2025 Defence Capability Plan, there are no specifics available for their replacement, however it is noted under ‘Future indicative investments’ that “the offshore patrol vessels will also be replaced with consideration given to whether commonality of design or systems with the frigates may be possible.” and “The Navy’s existing patrol capabilities do not fully meet New Zealand’s requirements, particularly in the Southern Ocean. A new Southern Ocean patrol capability would close this gap. It would broaden the patrol area and enhance our awareness of what is occurring in the Southern Ocean. This could include a combination of uncrewed technologies, deployable boarding teams, and platforms.”
| General Characteristics | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name: HMNZS Wellington | |||||
| Country: New Zealand | |||||
| Type: OPV | |||||
| Class name: Protector | |||||
| Year of commission: 2010 | |||||
| Refit: 2010 | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Dimensions: | |||||
| Length: 85m (278 ft 10 in) | |||||
| Beam: 14m (45 ft 11 in) | |||||
| Draught: 3.6m (11 ft 10 in) | |||||
| Displacement: 1,900t | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Propulsion: | |||||
| Powerplant: 2x MAN B&W 12KR280 Diesels @ 7,240hp (5,400kW) across two shafts w/ controllable pitch screws + bow thruster | |||||
| Speed: 22kt | |||||
| Endurance: 6,000nmi @ 15kt | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Armament & sensors: | |||||
| Compliment: 42 core, 12 flight, max capacity ~80 | |||||
| Primary armament: 1x1 25mm M242 on MSI-DS25 mount | |||||
| Secondary armament: 2x1 .50 M2HB | |||||
| Tertiary armament: -nil | |||||
| Radar: exact models unknown, known to have navigation, surface & air search radars | |||||
| Sonar: -nil | |||||
| Other systems: Vistar 350 day and night Electro-Optical Surveillance System. | |||||
| Boats: 2x 11m (36ft) RHIB, 6x 45 man Inflatable rafts | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Aircraft Specifications: | |||||
| Type: 1x SH-2G (I) Super Seasprite | |||||
| Armament Carried: 1x1 7.62mm FN MAG, 2x AGM-119, 2x Mk.46 12.75" torpedoes, or 2x depth charges, 2x external fuel tanks | |||||
| Systems: AN/ALR-93, ATK AN/AAR-47, AN/ALQ-144AN/ALE-39, AN/ALE-39 flares/chaff, LR-100 ESM, APS-143, AN/AAQ-22 | |||||
| Engines: 2x GE T-700, producing 1,723hp (1,285 kW) each | |||||
| Crew: 3 | |||||
| Main Rotor Diametre: 13.4m | |||||
| Length: 15.9m | |||||
| Height: 4.5m | |||||
| Range: 1,000 km clean | |||||
| Max Speed (Never exceed speed) : 278 km/h | |||||
| Empty Weight: 4,170 kg | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
HMNZS Wellington laid up at the Devonport naval base, Auckland 2026
Extra Photos:
Sources:
https://www.nzdf.mil.nz/nzdf/our-equipment/ships-and-watercraft/hmnzs-wellington/
https://navymuseum.co.nz/explore/by-collections/ships/wellington-offshore-patrol-vessel/
Otago Protector class OPV Royal New Zealand Navy RNZN
New Zealand's OPVs complete Typhoon gun acceptance trials - IHS Jane's 360
Protector-class patrol vessel - Wikipedia
First visit for southern guardian
VARD 7 085 - Vard Marine
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/project-protector
https://www.naval-technology.com/projects/protectorclassoffsho/?cf-view
