New Zealand Navy gets Cougar ROV onboard HMZS Resolution.

Norway-based Østensjø Rederi is contracted to deliver the future HMZS Resolution (also known as ‘Edda Fonn’) to the New Zealand Ministry of Defense in 2019 with an integrated ROV and dive system amongst its upgrades.

The Cougar XT ROV (Picture source: Saab )

To meet the Navy’s operational requirements, Østensjø Rederi expanded and extended the technical specification for the complete system including : the Cougar, the control room, and in particular, the Launch and Recovery System (LARS).Østensjø Rederi will provide a modified dipping and extending LARS with snubber, heave compensation and electric winch motors for the Cougar. Along with the LARS, the complete system includes a standard Cougar XT with minor modification to include three cameras and sonar system, together with its tether management system and three individual tool skids with manipulators, cutters and water jetting system.

Initially, the New Zealand Navy was scheduled to receive a custom new-build vessel but an NZ$148 million cost in the country’s frigate upgrade project forced the government to consider a used vessel. Defense officials identified the MV Edda Fonn, owned and operated by Norwegian company Østensjø Rederi, as the most suitable option from an initial list of over 150 candidate offshore and subsea support vessels.

HMZS Resolution is scheduled to be delivered to Devonport Naval Base in May 2019. Final modifications will be undertaken in New Zealand. The ship is expected to be in service with the Navy by November 2019.