From surgery to ship shape
Two weeks ago, Captain Simon Rooke was undergoing brain surgery.
Yesterday, he officially took command of the Royal New Zealand Navy’s largest ever ship, the new HMNZS Aotearoa, during a commissioning ceremony at Devonport Naval Base in Auckland.
It is the latest milestone in a glittering naval career for the officer, who is originally from Kawerau in the Bay of Plenty.
In his 40s, Rooke has held six ship commands and his commendations include being appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his performance as a boarding officer in the Persian Gulf in the 1990s.
Rooke also earned a commendation for his performance during his deployment to Fiji after a cyclone in 2016.
Rooke assumed command of the $500 million support vessel Aotearoa during a ceremony on the flight deck of the supply ship. Speaking afterwards, he said it had been a poignant morning, but he was in high spirits.
‘‘How could you not feel good on a day like today?’’
He went through neurosurgery two weeks ago because of a growth leading to a build-up in fluid, he said, and his rapid recovery was a testament to the work of medical professionals.
While ‘‘back on deck’’, he said he remained on light duties.
The ship was built in South Korea by Hyundai Heavy Industries.
New Plymouth, as the centre of New Zealand’s oil and gas production, is the home port of the Aotearoa, continuing the association of the navy’s fleet oilers (refuelling ships) with the city. However, the ship will be based at Devonport.
The Aotearoa will spend the next few weeks undergoing the installation of specialist equipment that could not be fitted in South Korea, as coronavirus prevented contractors from travelling to the country.
The ship is ice-rated so it can head to Antarctica to resupply Scott Base and McMurdo Station and comes with an array of winterisation systems, including trace heating on its upper deck walkways. That allows it to keep working in the icy conditions of the Southern Ocean.
In the bowels of the ship are dual engine rooms, which give its power and propulsion systems a degree of redundancy, as each can be isolated from the other in the event of damage.
The propulsion system features
two huge Rolls-Royce engines, rated at 5400kW (7344BHP).
The ship also features two reverse osmosis desalination plants. Each is able to provide 50 tonnes of fresh water a day, enough to supply a village on a Pacific Island during a disaster relief operation.
The ship will be fitted with remote controlled Mini Typhoon weapon systems and crewoperated machine guns.
At 173m, it is longer than the 169m light cruiser HMNZS Achilles, which served during World War II, or the 118m frigate HMNZS Te Kaha, currently in service.