Canterbury Tales: Nz Mod Slated Over Flawed Mrv Deal

摘要

When waves 6 m high tore a rigid-hull inflatable boat (RHIB) from its station aboard HMNZS Canterbury, less than six weeks after the 8,870-ton auxiliary had been accepted into service, it was hardly the most auspicious start for the ship's operational career under the New Zealand ensign. But the alarm bells began sounding even more urgently when, three months later, a member of the ship's company was killed during what should have been a routine manoeuvre to deploy another RHIB. The two incidents - on 10 July and 5 October 2007 respectively - prompted the New Zealand Ministry of Defence (MoD) to announce in December that it had ordered an independent inquiry into Canterbury's acquisition and introduction into service, focusing on the ship's safety and functionality. The review was to be led by John Coles, formerly chief executive of the UK's Warship Support Agency.