The Minister of Defence, Mr Robert Hill, announced the purchase of a new tanker to replace the aging HMAS WESTRALIA. The tanker DELOS, which had been built in South Korea and launched in April 2004, had been selected, and following modification in 2005 was planned for delivery to the RAN in 2006. It was later announced that the ship would be commissioned as HMAS SIRIUS, as a tribute to HMS SIRIUS, which was one of the two warships to escort the First Fleet to NSW in 1788.