German ship Main (A515)

Main on 14 March 2020
History
Germany
NameMain
NamesakeMain
BuilderBremer Vulkan
LaunchedJune 1993
Commissioned10 June 1994
HomeportEckernförde
Identification
StatusActive
General characteristics
TypeElbe-class replenishment ship
Displacement3,586 tonnes
Length100.55 m (329 ft 11 in)
Beam15.40 m (50 ft 6 in)
Draft4.05 m (13 ft 3 in)
Propulsion
Speed15 knots (28 km/h)
Range2,600 nmi (4,800 km)
Capacity
  • 24 standard 6.2 m containers (maximum)
  • Supplies:
  • 700 m³ fuel
  • 60 m³ aviation (helicopter) fuel
  • 280 m³ fresh water
  • 160 tonnes ammunition
  • 40 tonnes supplies
  • Disposal:
  • 5 tonnes solid waste
  • 180 m³ waste water
  • 32 m³ waste oil
Complement40 (standard) + >38 (repair party, passengers, squadron staff)
Armament
Aviation facilitiesHelipad

Main (A515) is the fifth ship of the Elbe-class replenishment ships of the German Navy.

Development

The Elbe-class replenishment ships are also known as tenders of the German Navy. In German, this type of ship is called Versorgungsschiffe which can be translated as "supply ship" though the official translation in English is "replenishment ship".

They are intended to support German naval units away from their home ports. The ships carry fuel, provisions, ammunition and other matériel and also provide medical services. The ships are named after German rivers where German parliaments were placed.

Construction and career

Main was launched in June 1993 in Bremen-Vegesack, Germany. She was commissioned on 10 June 1994.[1]

Main returned to her home port in Eckernförde on 13 April 2017. In addition to their own on-board crew, doctors, military police, language mediators and an Austrian boarding team were also embarked, so that the crew comprised around 105 women and men.[2]

References

  1. ^ "Type 404 Elbe Class Tenders - Naval Technology". www.naval-technology.com. Retrieved 2021-07-31.
  2. ^ "Tender "Main" kehrt nach EU-Einsatz im Mittelmeer zurück nach Eckernförde". presseportal.de (in German). Retrieved 2021-07-31.

Media related to A515 Main (ship, 1994) at Wikimedia Commons