Irelands two newest navy vessels bought from New Zealand HMNZS Rotoiti and Pukaki

31 comments
  1. Thought you guys might be interested in some pics of the vessels bought to replace LÉ Orla and LÉ Ciara.

    Both looking pretty good with a fresh coat of paint all over. Main and auxiliary engines overhauled, rudders and propellors overhauled and freshly painted decks.

  2. While I welcome them and wish fair sailing to all who sail in them they represent a failure.

    We’re buying these two ships to cover a capability gap and because they require smaller crews to operate.

    Ciara and Órla were inshore patrol vessels. They are for getting close in to monitor fishing fleets just off the coast. The ex NZ vessels will be able to do this job with less crew.

    However the original plan set out by the defence forces was to replace Ciara and Órla with more capable vessels that could do the inshore role and take on the counter IED and counter mine warfare capability as well as facilities to operate divers and underwater remote vehicles.

    Like a lot of defence plans nothing was done by the Department of Defence and Department of Finance to progress it. The two old ships had to be decommissioned in 2022 along with the Eithne without replacements even having plans drawn up let alone ready to be replaced.

    On top of that the Naval Service is severely under strength due to the retention crisis and cannot crew all its ships, hence the need for these inshore patrol vessels with smaller crew.

    It’s not progress, it’s barely standing still.

  3. Can anybody explain the names? Are the Irish or NZ? They sound Māori? Not that I have an issue if it is, just curious.

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