February 21, 2006: New Zealand has put a new amphibious ship into service. The MRV (multi-role vessel) is a 9,000 ton amphibious ship. The MRV can carry 250 troops, several dozen vehicles, 33 cargo containers, two 60 ton landing craft and five helicopters (four in storage). The 416 foot long vessel has a top speed is 34 kilometers an hour, and range is 14,000 kilometers. Weapons consist of one 25mm auto-cannon, and two .50 caliber machine-guns. Crew consists of about a hundred sailors. The vessel is mainly intended for supporting peacekeeping operations in the South Pacific.
