The Norwegian Navy announced the milestone via a message on Twitter:
“HNoMS Maud today reached an important milestone when they completed their first operational transfer of fuel to another vessel in the sea The ability to support with fuel, provisions, ammunition and spare parts in the area of operations is a sought-after capacity in both Norway and NATO.”
HNoMS Maud was built by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) in South Korea through the Project P2513 new logistics vessel program. The ship was taken over by the Royal Norwegian Navy in November 2018 and arrived in Norway on 29 March 2019. On 21 May 2019, Maud was christened and commissioned. The ship would then be tested for a year until the warranty runs out. However in December 2019, Maud was banned from sailing after global risk-assessment firm DNV GL revealed several safety hazards, deeming the vessel too unsafe to sail. The ship is now expected to return to operational service in mid-2021 following fixes to the issues.
HNoMS Maud can load up to 200 tons of ammunition, spare parts, 30 tons of supplies, boats, vehicles, and over nine million liters of fuel. With a crew of 68, the vessel can accommodate up to 48 injured people and an additional 99 soldiers. The replenishment oiler has a length of 183 meters and a displacement of 27,500 tons.
Thanks to the a 25-ton crane, HNoMS Maud can hoist onboard over 60 containers that can be transported on deck. The 750-square-meter helicopter deck can board the NH90, of which two of them can be stored in the hangar.
