HMNZS Resolution (A14)

HMNZS Resolution (A14) was the hydrographic ship of the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN). Originally the United States Naval Ship USNS Tenacious (T-AGOS-17), the Stalwart class ocean surveillance ship was used by the United States to locate and track Soviet submarines from 1989 to 1997, when she was transferred to the RNZN for use as a hydrographic survey ship. She served until 27 April 2012.

Construction
The ship's construction contract was awarded 20 February 1987 to Halter Marine, Inc of Moss Point, Mississippi, under then name Intrepid. Her keel was laid down 26 February 1988, she was launched 17 February 1989 and commissioned as USNS Tenacious on 29 September 1989.

United States
USNS Tenacious (T-AGOS-17) was a Stalwart class ocean surveillance ship. It was originally to have been the USNS Intrepid, but following protests from veterans of the Essex-class aircraft carrier USS Intrepid it was renamed. During the Cold War, Ocean Surveillance Ships patrolled the world's oceans searching for Soviet Navy submarines. Their data was collected using the Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System (SURTASS), consisting of listening devices and electronic equipment that transmit the acoustic data via satellite to shore for analysis. SURTASS is a linear array of 8575 ft deployed on a 6000 ft tow cable and neutrally buoyant. The array can operate at depths between 500 and 1500 ft.

Tenacious was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register and sold to New Zealand on 6 February 1997.

New Zealand
HMNZS Resolution replaced HMNZ Ships Tui and Monowai as the Navy's primary Survey and Acoustic Research Vessel. She undertook various marine survey tasks, including for the Land Information New Zealand agency.

She was named after the sailing vessel HMS Resolution, used by Captain James Cook, RN, during his second and third voyages to New Zealand between 1772 and 1779, thus recognising the extensive hydrographic survey work Cook and his team completed.

HMNZS Resolution also provided a scholarship for under-privileged high school students to participate in a 10 day passage on the Spirit of New Zealand, and sometimes embarked university and high school students as part of the 'Students at Sea' program.

The inshore Survey Motor Boat (SMB) Adventure was operated as a tender from HMNZS Resolution.

On 22 February 2011, Resolution was underway off Christchurch when the 2011 Canterbury earthquake occurred. NZ Navy Today said later : '..the feeling onboard was that the engines had been set in full astern with associated shuddering and shaking. It was only when a dust cloud over Christchurch was observed and chatter on VHF soon alerted the bridge team of the enormity of the disaster. With Captain Dean McDougall (CTU 654.0.1, Captain Fleet Operational Support) in an established headquarters on HMNZS Canterbury in Lyttleton, Resolution reported for duty and was subsequently called in to conduct a hydrographic confidence survey of the main channel into the Port of Lyttleton.

HMNZS Resolution was decommissioned at Devonport Naval Base on 27 April 2012.