An election in November 1999 saw the transition from the Fourth National Government to the Fifth Labour Government, and a new review into "Charles Upham" was ordered. The "Sealift Review" was completed in November 2000, and found that although the ship had limitations, retaining and modifying the vessel was the most cost-effective option for maintaining a strategic sealift capability. Despite this, the Cabinet agreed in April 2001 to a proposal that called for the sale of "Charles Upham" once her Spanish charter ended, and address the reacquisition of sealift capability at the same time as the replacement for the frigate . On 9 May, plans to sell the ship were announced. "Charles Upham" was decommissioned and sold outright to Contenemar in July for NZ$8.6 million. The RNZN then sought to acquire sealift capability through Project Protector, resulting in the acquisition of the multi-role vessel in 2007.