Matau-class spy ship

The Matau-class Spy ship (AI) is a class of Stenzan fleet auxiliary. Not much is publicly known by the ships, which are tied to Stenzan intelligence gathering operations at sea.

Spy ship Matau (Observe), prior to upgrades
Class overview
Name:	Matau-class
Builders:	I'na Nautical Yard Pieuii Nautical Yard
Operators:	Stenzan Navy
Preceded by:	Various unique designs
Succeeded by:	None
In commission:	2004-present
Planned:	5
Building:	0
Completed:	5
Active:	5
General characteristics
Propulsion:	2x Marine diesel engines
Speed:	28 knots
Complement:	Undisclosed
Sensors and processing systems:	Maritime radar Air radar Radio monitoring equipment
Armament:	4x 13.5mm Machine Gun Small arms, including crew portable machine guns and MANPADS
Aircraft carried:	1 helicopter
Aviation facilities:	Hangar

History

The Matau-class was designed and launched in the Mid 2000's to replace the flotilla of aged unique designs making up Stenza's maritime intelligence gathering capabilities at the time. The ships were all put into service between 2004 and 2009, and have since been upgraded in the 2020's.

Not much has been disclosed about the Matau's deployments, although the ships in the class have been spotted shadowing other nations' fleets or being anchored in international waters off other nations' coasts since their deployment. As of 2029, three ships in the class are in active service on a daily basis, with two more being kept in reserve in case the need arises.

The ships are under the official command of the Naval Intelligence Bureau, although other entities within the Military Intelligence Command and wider Stenzan Intelligence Community.

Matau-class ship post improvements, note the new mast

Design and Capabilities

The ships are designed with the speed to shadow foreign fleets in mind, although fuel is known to be an issue during prolonged high speed operations. Due to this, these ships have not been spotted following foreign fleets around at high speeds for more than two days at a time. Not much else is known about the design of these ships, although sources state the ships are equipped with various pieces of intelligence gathering equipment, including radars and radio monitoring equipment.

Fa'alogo spotted watching and listening in international waters

Ships in class

Matau-class Spy ships

Pennant Number	Name	Notes
AI-12	Matau	Lead ship of class, in reserve storage.
AI-13	Fa'aaliga	In active use.
AI-14	Matamata	In reserve storage.
AI-15	Fa'alogo	In active use.
AI-16	Mataala	In active use.