HMAS Supply stuck at Garden Island for 14 months, hobbling Navy fleet

Three-year-old HMAS Supply’s job is to replenish the Navy’s east-coast fleet so those vessels can stay on active duty. But a ‘very complex’ problem has seen it stuck in Sydney Harbour since March 2023.

A nearly new $500 million Navy ship meant to deliver food, fuel and ammunition to vessels on active duty hasn’t left Sydney Harbour since March last year due to a major engine fault, it can be revealed.

HMAS Supply has been at Garden Island for 14 months while the manufacturer tries to repair a “shaftline alignment issue” which has existed since before the ship was delivered in 2021.

Supply’s inability to do its job limits the activities of the Navy’s east-coast fleet, because vessels can’t travel as far or stay at sea as long.

The ship’s defect is being addressed under warranty by Spanish-owned manufacturer Navantia. Without being repaired, the failing would threaten to wreck the gearbox, which would be catastrophic.

The Daily Telegraph understands it would be almost impossible to replace the gearbox without cutting Supply in two.

HMAS Supply at Garden Island this week. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

The Australian subsidiary of Navantia said it couldn’t comment.

“When vessels are in-service with the Royal Australian Navy, all inquiries relating to the ships including their operational status must be directed to the Navy for response,” a spokeswoman said.

Vice Admiral Mark Hammond said Supply had a ‘very complex’ repair issue. Picture: Supplied

A Defence spokesman said it was “working constructively with Navantia to resolve warranty and latent defect claims”.

Defence did not respond to queries about when Supply might be fully operational.

A spokeswoman for Defence Minister Richard Marles would only say the aim was to “return HMAS Supply to service as soon as possible.”

According to the Australian National Audit Office, the total approved budget for Supply and its sister ship, WA-based Stalwart, was $1.08 billion. The pair was ordered by the former Coalition federal government.

In February this year, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond told a Senate estimates hearing that Supply’s shaft alignment “issue” had existed “from build”.

The repair was “very complex,” Vice Admiral Hammond said.

Under questioning from Jacqui Lambie, he also said he was “seeing some preliminary indications of similar issues” with Stalwart.

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