▁of ▁cargo . ▁The ▁crew ▁complement ▁was ▁ 1 7 ▁strong , ▁and ▁the ▁ship ▁was ▁fitted ▁with ▁two ▁I - band ▁navig ational ▁rad ars . ▁ ▁The ▁vessel ▁was ▁built ▁by ▁Freder ik sh av ns ▁V ær ft ▁in ▁Freder ik sh av n , ▁Den mark . ▁La id ▁down ▁as ▁yard ▁number ▁ 4 0 7 , ▁she ▁was ▁launched ▁on ▁ 1 6 ▁December ▁ 1 9 8 3 , ▁and ▁completed ▁on ▁ 6 ▁April ▁ 1 9 8 4 . ▁The ▁vessel ▁was ▁assigned ▁the ▁I MO ▁Number ▁ 8 1 3 1 1 2 8 . ▁ ▁Oper ational ▁history ▁ ▁Early ▁civil ian ▁service ▁The ▁ship ▁was ▁built ▁for ▁and ▁operated ▁by ▁Dan ish ▁sh ipping ▁company ▁Mer c and ia , ▁and ▁was ▁flag ged ▁as ▁a ▁Dan ish ▁vessel . ▁During ▁her ▁initial ▁civil ian ▁career , ▁the ▁vessel ▁operated ▁under ▁the ▁name ▁Mer c and ian ▁Queen ▁II , ▁except ▁for ▁a ▁period ▁during ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁when ▁she ▁was ▁briefly ▁named ▁Cont inental ▁Queen ▁II . ▁ ▁R N Z N ▁ac quisition ▁The ▁R N Z N ▁began ▁to ▁identify ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁a ▁log istic ▁support ▁ship ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁Such ▁a ▁ship ▁would ▁be ▁used ▁to ▁support ▁the ▁defence ▁and ▁foreign ▁policies ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁Zealand ▁government , ▁particularly ▁in ▁the ▁South ▁Pacific ▁region ▁by ▁providing ▁se al ift ▁for ▁the ▁New ▁Zealand ▁Army ' s ▁Re ady