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The Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) (Maori: Te Taua Moana, The Sea Army) is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force
New Zealand Defence Force

The New Zealand Defence Force consists of three services: the New Zealand Army; the Royal New Zealand Navy; and the Royal New Zealand Air Force....
. In April 2006 the fleet consisted of ten ships, with the combat force consisting of two frigates.

Pre-World War I The New Zealand Navy did not exist as a separate military force until 1941.

The first maritime combat activities in New Zealand began with the arrival of the Maori
Maori

The Maori are the indigenous people Polynesian people of Aotearoa . The group probably arrived in south-western Polynesia in several waves at some time before 1300....
 in waka
Waka (canoe)

In the Maori language and New Zealand English, waka are Maori watercraft, usually canoes ranging in size from small, unornamented canoes used for fishing and river travel, to large decorated war canoes up to long....
 in the twelfth century AD.






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The Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) (Maori: Te Taua Moana, The Sea Army) is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force
New Zealand Defence Force

The New Zealand Defence Force consists of three services: the New Zealand Army; the Royal New Zealand Navy; and the Royal New Zealand Air Force....
. In April 2006 the fleet consisted of ten ships, with the combat force consisting of two frigates.

History


Pre-World War I

The New Zealand Navy did not exist as a separate military force until 1941.

The first maritime combat activities in New Zealand began with the arrival of the Maori
Maori

The Maori are the indigenous people Polynesian people of Aotearoa . The group probably arrived in south-western Polynesia in several waves at some time before 1300....
 in waka
Waka (canoe)

In the Maori language and New Zealand English, waka are Maori watercraft, usually canoes ranging in size from small, unornamented canoes used for fishing and river travel, to large decorated war canoes up to long....
 in the twelfth century AD. One of the first recorded contacts with the Maori was by Dutchman
Netherlands

The Netherlands is a country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands is located in North-West Europe, and bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east....
 Abel Tasman
Abel Tasman

Abel Janszoon Tasman , was a Netherlands sea explorer, exploration, and merchant.Tasman is best known for his voyages of 1642 and 1644 in the service of the VOC ....
, when he was attacked by Maori in war waka off the northern tip of the South Island
South Island

The South Island is the larger of the two major Islands of New Zealand of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. The Maori name for the South Island, Te Wai Pounamu, meaning "The Water/s of Greenstone" , possibly evolved from Te Wahi Pounamu which means "The Place Of Greenstone"....
 in December 1642.

The association of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy

The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British Armed Forces . From the mid-18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early 1940s....
 with New Zealand began with the arrival of Lieutenant (later Captain) James Cook
James Cook

Captain James Cook Royal Society Royal Navy was an English explorer, navigator and cartographer, ultimately rising to the rank of Captain in the Royal Navy....
 in 1769, who completed two subsequent journeys to New Zealand in 1773 and 1777. For the remainder of the 18th century and the early 19th century, the Royal Navy frequently sent warships to New Zealand to maintain law and order amongst British subjects who were resident in the islands, and to prevent violence between the British and the Maori. William Hobson
William Hobson

Captain William Hobson Royal Navy was the first Governor-General of New Zealand of New Zealand and co-author of the Treaty of Waitangi....
, a crucial player in the drafting of the Treaty of Waitangi
Treaty of Waitangi

The Treaty of Waitangi is a treaty first signed on February 6, 1840, by representatives of the United Kingdom The Crown, and various Maori chiefs from the northern North Island of New Zealand....
, was in New Zealand as a captain in the Royal Navy. The signing of the Treaty of Waitangi made New Zealand a colony in the British Empire
British Empire

The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, and other Dependent territory ruled or administered by the United Kingdom , that had originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries....
, so the defence of the coastline became the responsibility of the Royal Navy. That role was fulfilled until World War I
World War I

World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
, and the Royal Navy also played a part in the New Zealand Wars
New Zealand land wars

The New Zealand Wars, sometimes called the Land Wars and also once called the Maori Wars, were a series of armed conflicts that took place in New Zealand between 1845 and 1872....
: for example, a gunboat shelled fortified Maori pa
Pa (Maori)

The word pa refers to a Maori village, generally one from the 19th century or earlier that was fortified for defence. In Maori society, a great pa represented the mana of a tribal group, as personified by a chief or rangatira....
 from the Waikato River in order to defeat the Maori King Movement
Maori King Movement

The Maori King Movement or Kingitanga is a movement that arose among some of the Maori tribes of New Zealand in the 1850s to establish a symbolic role similar in status to that of the monarch of the colonising people, the British....
.

World War I and the Inter-War period

In 1909, the New Zealand government decided to fund the purchase of the battlecruiser
Battlecruiser

Battlecruisers were large warships in the first half of the 20th century that were first introduced by the Royal Navy. The battlecruiser was developed as the successor to the armoured cruisers, but their evolution was more closely linked to that of the dreadnought battleships....
 HMS New Zealand
HMS New Zealand (1911)

HMS New Zealand was an Indefatigable class battlecruiser built in 1910 as a Early naval vessels of New Zealand#Gift of battlecruiser from the people of New Zealand....
 for the Royal Navy, which saw action throughout World War I
World War I

World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
 in Europe. The passing of the Naval Defence Act 1913 created the New Zealand Naval Forces
New Zealand Naval Forces

New Zealand Naval Forces was the name given to a division of the Royal Navy. The division was formed in 1913 in New Zealand and it operated under this name until 1921 in New Zealand, when it became the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy....
, still as a part of the Royal Navy, and from 1921 to 1941 the force was known as the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy
New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy

The New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy was formed in 1921 and remained in existence until 1941. It was the precursor to the Royal New Zealand Navy....
. The first purchase by the New Zealand government for the New Zealand Naval Forces was the cruiser
Cruiser

A cruiser is a large type of warship, which had its prime period from the late 19th century to the end of the Cold War. The first cruisers were intended for individual raiding and protection missions on the seas....
 HMS Philomel
HMS Philomel (1890)

HMS Philomel was a Pearl class cruiser cruiser. She was the sixth ship of HMS Philomel and served with the Royal Navy from her commissioning in 1890 until 1914, when she was transferred to the New Zealand Navy with whom she served until 1947....
, which escorted New Zealand land forces to occupy the German colony of Samoa
Samoa

Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa , is a country governing the western part of the Samoan Islands archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean....
 in 1914. Philomel saw further action under the command of the Royal Navy in the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea is a sea or Ocean off the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by Asia....
, the Red Sea
Red Sea

The Red Sea is a salt water inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb sound and the Gulf of Aden....
, and the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf

The Persian Gulf, in the Southwest Asian region, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. Historically and commonly known as the Persian Gulf, this body of water is sometimes Persian Gulf naming dispute referred to as the Arabian Gulf by certain Arab countries or simply The Gulf, although nei...
.

Between World War I and World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
, the New Zealand Division operated 14 ships, including the cruisers HMS Achilles
HMNZS Achilles (70)

HMNZS Achilles was a Leander class cruiser which served with the Royal New Zealand Navy in World War II. She became famous for her part in the Battle of the River Plate, alongside HMS Ajax and HMS Exeter ....
 and HMS Leander
HMNZS Leander

HMNZS Leander was a light cruiser which served with the Royal New Zealand Navy during World War II. She was the lead ship of a class of eight ships, the Leander class cruiser and was initially named HMS Leander....
, and the minesweeper HMS Wakakura
HMNZS Wakakura (T00)

HMNZS Wakakura was originally a World War I World War Castle class minesweeper naval trawler from Canada. She was purchased by New Zealand in 1926 and transferred to the Royal New Zealand Navy when it was established in 1941....
.

World War II

Battle of Kolombangara
When Britain
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 went to war against Germany in 1939, New Zealand promptly declared war also. The New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy became the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) from 1 October 1941, in recognition of the fact that the naval force was now largely self-sufficient and independent of the Royal Navy. Ships thereafter were prefixed HMNZS (His/Her Majesty's New Zealand Ship).

HMNZS Achilles
HMNZS Achilles (70)

HMNZS Achilles was a Leander class cruiser which served with the Royal New Zealand Navy in World War II. She became famous for her part in the Battle of the River Plate, alongside HMS Ajax and HMS Exeter ....
 participated in the first major naval battle of World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
, the Battle of the River Plate
Battle of the River Plate

The Battle of the River Plate was the first major naval battle in World War II. The Nazi Germany pocket battleship German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee had been commerce raiding since the start of the war in September....
 off the River Plate estuary
Río de la Plata

The R?o de la Plata —often rendered in English language as the River Plate or the [La] Plata River—is the estuary formed by the combination of the Uruguay River and the Paran? River....
 between Argentina
Argentina

Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic , is a country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city....
 and Uruguay
Uruguay

Uruguay is a country located in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to 3.46 million people, of whom 1.7 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area....
, in December 1939. Achilles and two other cruisers, HMS Ajax
HMS Ajax (22)

HMS Ajax was a Leander class cruiser which served with the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom during World War II. She was made famous for her part in the Battle of the River Plate, the Battle of Crete, the Battle of Malta and as a supply escort in the Battle of Tobruk....
 and HMS Exeter
HMS Exeter (68)

HMS Exeter was a York class cruiser heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy that served in World War II. She was laid down on 1 August 1928 at the HMNB Devonport Dockyard, Plymouth, Devon....
, were in an operation that forced the crew of the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee
German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee

The Admiral Graf Spee was one of the most famous Kriegsmarine warships of World War II, along with the German battleship Bismarck. Her size was limited to that of a cruiser by the Treaty of Versailles, but she was as heavily armed as a small battleship due to innovative weight-saving techniques employed in her construction....
 to scuttle her rather than face the loss of many more German seamen's lives. This decision apparently infuriated Hitler
Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born Germany politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , popularly known as the Nazi Party....
. The Achilles moved to the Pacific, and was working with the US Navy when damaged by a Japanese bomb off New Georgia
New Georgia

New Georgia is the largest island of the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. It is in the New Georgia Group, an archipelago including most of the other larger islands in the province....
. Following repair she served alongside the British Pacific Fleet until the war's end.

HMNZS Leander
HMNZS Leander

HMNZS Leander was a light cruiser which served with the Royal New Zealand Navy during World War II. She was the lead ship of a class of eight ships, the Leander class cruiser and was initially named HMS Leander....
 escorted the New Zealand Expeditionary Force
New Zealand Expeditionary Force

The New Zealand Expeditionary warfare was the title of the military forces sent from New Zealand to fight for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland during World War I and World War II....
 to the Middle East in 1940, and was then deployed in the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea is a sea or Ocean off the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by Asia....
, the Red Sea
Red Sea

The Red Sea is a salt water inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb sound and the Gulf of Aden....
, and the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering about 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by Asia ; on the west by Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and Australia; and on the south by the Southern Ocean ....
. The Leander was subjected to air and naval attack from Axis
Axis Powers

The Axis powers were those countries that were opposed to the Allies of World War II during World War II. The three major Axis powers - Nazi Germany, Kingdom of Italy , and Empire of Japan - were part of a military alliance on the signing of the Tripartite Pact in September 1940, which officially founded the Axis powers....
 forces, conducted bombardments, and escorted convoys. In February 1941, the Leander sank the Italian auxiliary cruiser Ramb I in the Indian Ocean.

In 1943, after serving further time in the Mediterranean, the Leander returned to the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. Its name is derived from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, "peaceful sea", bestowed upon it by the Portugal explorer Ferdinand Magellan....
. She assisted in the destruction of the Japanese cruiser Jintsu
Japanese cruiser Jintsu

was a Sendai class cruiser light cruiser in the Imperial Japanese Navy, named after the Jinzu River in the Gifu prefecture and Toyama prefectures of central Japan....
 and being seriously damaged by torpedoes during the Battle of Kolombangara
Battle of Kolombangara

The Battle of Kolombangara was a naval battle of the Pacific War of World War II, fought on the night of 12/13 July 1943, off Kolombangara in the Solomon Islands....
. The extent of the damage to Leander saw her docked for repairs until the end of the war.

As the war progressed the size of the RNZN greatly increased, and by the end of the war there were over 60 ships in commission. These ships participated as part of the British and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations

The Commonwealth of Nations, also known as the Commonwealth or the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organization of fifty-three independent member states....
 effort against the Axis
Axis Powers

The Axis powers were those countries that were opposed to the Allies of World War II during World War II. The three major Axis powers - Nazi Germany, Kingdom of Italy , and Empire of Japan - were part of a military alliance on the signing of the Tripartite Pact in September 1940, which officially founded the Axis powers....
 in Europe, and against the Japanese in the Pacific. They also played an important role in the defence of New Zealand, from German raiders
Merchant raider

Merchant raiders are ships which disguise themselves as non-combatant merchant vessels, whilst actually being armed and intending to attack enemy commerce....
, especially when the threat of invasion from Japan appeared imminent in 1942. Many merchant ships were requisitioned and armed for help in defence. One of these was HMNZS Monowai
HMNZS Monowai (F59)

HMNZS Monowai was an Armed merchantmen of the Royal New Zealand Navy . She subsequently became HMS Monowai, a Landing Ship, Infantry mostly operating as a troopship, before returning to her old trade as a passenger ship....
, which saw action against a Japanese submarine
Submarine

A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below water. It differs from a submersible, which has only limited underwater capability....
 off Fiji
Fiji

Fiji , officially the Republic of the Fiji Islands , is an island nation in the South Pacific Ocean east of Vanuatu, west of Tonga and south of Tuvalu....
 in 1942. In 1941-1942, it was decided in an agreement between the New Zealand and United States government that the best role for the RNZN in the Pacific was as part of the United States Navy
United States Navy

The United States Navy is the navy of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy currently has approximately 331,682 personnel on active duty as of 31 December 2008 and 124,000 in the United States Navy Reserve....
, so operational control of the RNZN was transferred to the South West Pacific Area command
South West Pacific Area

South West Pacific Area was the name given to the Allies of World War II supreme military command in the South West Pacific Theatre of World War II....
, and its ships joined United States 7th Fleet
United States 7th Fleet

The Seventh Fleet is the United States Navy permanent forward projection force based in U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan, with units positioned near South Korea and Japan....
 taskforces.

In 1943, the light cruiser HMS Gambia
HMS Gambia (C48)

HMS Gambia was a Crown Colony class cruiser light cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was in the service of the Royal New Zealand Navy as HMNZS Gambia from 1943 to 1946....
 was transferred to the RNZN as HMNZS Gambia. In November 1944, the British Pacific Fleet
British Pacific Fleet

The British Pacific Fleet was a British Commonwealth navy force which saw action against Japan during World War II. The fleet was composed of Commonwealth of Nations naval vessels....
, a joint British Commonwealth taskforce, was formed, based in Sydney, Australia. Most RNZN ships were transferred to the BPF, including Gambia and Achilles. They took part in the Battle of Okinawa
Battle of Okinawa

The Battle of Okinawa, also known as Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa Island and was the largest amphibious warfare in the Pacific War of World War II....
 and operations in the Sakishima Islands
Sakishima Islands

The are an island chain located at the southernmost end of the Japanese Archipelago. They are part of the Ryukyu Islands and include the Miyako Islands, the Yaeyama Islands and the disputed Senkaku Islands....
, near Japan. In August 1945, HMNZS Gambia was New Zealand's representative at the surrender of Japan
Surrender of Japan

The surrender of Japan in August 1945 brought World War II to a close. On August 10, 1945, after the Soviet Union Soviet invasion of Manchuria and the United States atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan's leaders at the Supreme War Council decided, in principle, to accept the terms the Allies of World War II had set down...
.

Post-war


RNZN ships participated in the Korean War
Korean War

The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korea and South Korea regimes, with major hostilities lasting from June 25, 1950 until the armistice signed on July 27, 1953....
, Malayan Emergency
Malayan Emergency

The Malayan Emergency refers to a guerrilla warfare for independence fought between Commonwealth armed forces and the Malayan Races Liberation Army, the military arm of the Malayan Communist Party, from 1948 to 1960; some have gone as far as to characterise it as a civil war....
, and the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation
Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation

The Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation was an intermittent battle over the future of the island of Borneo, between British-backed Malaysia and Indonesia in 1962?1966....
. In the past three decades, the RNZN has operated in the Middle East a number of times. RNZN ships played a role in the Iran–Iraq War, aiding the Royal Navy in protecting neutral shipping in the Indian Ocean. Frigates were also sent to participate in the first Gulf War
Gulf War

"Persian Gulf War" and "First Gulf War" redirect here. For other uses, see Persian Gulf War .The Persian Gulf War was a United Nations-authorized military conflict between Iraq and a Coalition of Gulf War from 34 nations commissioned with expelling Iraqi forces from Kuwait after Iraq's Invasion of Kuwait of Kuwait in August 1990....
, and more recently Operation Enduring Freedom
Operation Enduring Freedom

Operation Enduring Freedom is the official name used by the U.S. Government for its contribution to the War in Afghanistan , together with three smaller military actions, under the umbrella of its War on Terrorism ....
. The RNZN has played an important part in conflicts in the Pacific as well. Naval forces were utilised in the Bougainville
Bougainville Province

The Autonomous Region of Bougainville, also known as North Solomons, is an autonomous region in Papua New Guinea and is the largest of the Solomon Islands group....
, Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands

For the group of islands rather than the nation, see Solomon Islands .The Solomon Islands is a country in Melanesia, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands....
 and East Timor
East Timor

East Timor, also known as Timor-Leste is a country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro Island and Jaco , and Oecussi-Ambeno, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor....
 conflicts of the 1990s. The RNZN often participates in United Nations
United Nations

The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, Social change, human rights and achieving world peace....
 peacekeeping
Peacekeeping

Peacekeeping, as defined by the United Nations, is "a way to help countries torn by conflict create conditions for sustainable peace." It is distinguished from both peacebuilding and peacemaking....
 operations. The Navy's operational authority was the Commodore, Auckland, from 1961 which changed to the Maritime Commander in March 1993.

The RNZN has played a much broader role than just conflict-related activities. Since 1946, it has policed New Zealand's territorial waters
Territorial waters

Territorial waters, or a territorial sea, as defined by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is a belt of coastal waters extending at most twelve nautical miles from the baseline of a coastal state....
 and Exclusive Economic Zone
Exclusive Economic Zone

Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, an Exclusive Economic Zone is a seazone over which a state has special rights over the exploration and use of marine Natural resource....
 for fisheries protection. It also aids New Zealand's deployment in Antarctica, at Scott Base
Scott Base

Scott Base is a base located in Antarctica and is operated by New Zealand. It was named after Captain Robert Falcon Scott, Royal Navy, leader of two United Kingdom expeditions to the Ross Sea area of Antarctica....
.

One of the best-known roles that the RNZN played on the world stage was when the frigates Canterbury and the Otago
HMNZS Otago

HMNZS Otago was a Rothesay class frigate, acquired from the Royal Navy before completion. She was launched on 11 December 1958 by Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, and was commissioned into the Royal New Zealand Navy on 22 June 1960....
 were sent by the Labour
New Zealand Labour Party

The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially Liberalism, and Progressivism, and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....
 Government of Norman Kirk
Norman Kirk

Norman Eric Kirk was Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1972 until his sudden death in 1974. He led the Parliamentary wing of the New Zealand Labour Party from 1965 to 1974....
 to Moruroa Atoll
Moruroa

Mururoa , also historically known as Aopuni, is an atoll which forms part of the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia in the southern Pacific Ocean....
 in 1973 to protest against French nuclear
Nuclear weapon

A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either nuclear fission or a combination of fission and nuclear fusion....
 testing there. The frigates were sent into the potential blast zone of the weapon, which forced France to postpone the tests.

Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom
Naval Ensign of New Zealand
Until the 1960s, the RNZN had, in common with other Dominion navies, flown the White Ensign
White Ensign

The White Ensign is an ensign flown on British Royal Navy Royal Navy ships and shore establishments. It consists of a red St George's Cross on a white field with the Union Flag in the upper canton....
 as a common ensign. Post-war, the foreign policies of these independent states had become more distinctive and there was a wish and a need for separate identities, particularly if one Dominion was engaged in hostilities where another was not. Thus, in 1968, the RNZN adopted its own ensign, which retains the Union Flag
Union Flag

The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the national Flag of the United Kingdom. Historically, the flag was used throughout the former British Empire....
 in a top quarter but replaces the St George's Cross
St George's Cross

The St George's Cross is a centred red cross on a white background. Originally the flag of the Republic of Genoa, it is the national flag of England and Georgia , the provincial flag of Huesca, Zaragoza and Teruel as well as the municipal flag for numerous cities, including Montreal, Barcelona, Almer?a, Milan, Genoa, Padua and Freiburg im B...
 with the Southern Cross constellation that is displayed on the national flag.

Modern navy


Current Fleet


The RNZN is currently in a transitional period where its role is being broadened into a navy that is more versatile than in the more recent past. It used to be combat orientated, based on the frigate, but a number of new ships are soon to be incorporated into the fleet that will give the RNZN a much broader platform to work from. These "Project Protector" ships are currently under construction with only the Multi-Role Vessel (MRV) in commission at this stage.

The categorisations of the ships used here are taken from the RNZN website.

Naval combat force

The naval combat force currently consists of two Anzac Class
Anzac class frigate

The ten Anzac class frigates are the major surface units of the Royal Australian Navy and Royal New Zealand Navy . They were based on a modified German MEKO design....
 frigates: HMNZS Te Kaha
HMNZS Te Kaha (F77)

HMNZS Te Kaha is one of ten Anzac class frigate frigates, and one of two serving in the Royal New Zealand Navy . The name Te Kaha is Maori, meaning 'fighting prowess' or 'strength' ....
 and HMNZS Te Mana
HMNZS Te Mana (F111)

HMNZS Te Mana is one of ten Anzac class frigates and one of two serving in the Royal New Zealand Navy. The name Te Mana is Maori language, approximately translating as 'status' or 'authority' ....
. Both ships are based at the Devonport Naval Base
Devonport Naval Base

Devonport Naval Base is the home of the Royal New Zealand Navy, located at Devonport, New Zealand on Auckland's North Shore, New Zealand. It is currently the only base of the navy that operates ships, and was a navy base from as far back as 1841....
 on Auckland
Auckland

The Auckland metropolitan area or Greater Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban areas of New Zealand with over 1.3 million residents, percent of the country's population....
's North Shore
North Shore, New Zealand

North Shore City is a city in the Auckland Region region of New Zealand. The city had a population of making it the fourth most populous city in New Zealand....
. Te Kaha was commissioned on 26 July 1997 and Te Mana on 10 December 1999.

The specifications and armaments of the two ships are identical.

Logistics support force
HMNZS Endeavour
HMNZS Endeavour (A11)

HMNZS Endeavour is the current fleet Replenishment oiler for the Royal New Zealand Navy. She is named after James Cook HM Bark Endeavour and is the third ship in the RNZN to carry that name, though if continuity with the Royal Navy ships of the name HMS Endeavour is considered, she is the twelfth....
 is the fleet tanker. She provides fuel and other supplies for the frigates when they are on international operations, and for allied ships should this be required. Endeavour takes her name from the Royal Navy ship that carried James Cook to New Zealand on his first voyage, in 1769. Her home port is the city of New Plymouth
New Plymouth

New Plymouth is the major city of the Taranaki region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after Plymouth, Devon, England, from where the first English settlers came....
. HMNZS Canterbury, the RNZN's new Multi-Role Vessel entered service in June 2007.

Hydrographic force

The hydrographic survey ship of the RNZN is HMNZS Resolution. Resolution is used to survey and chart the sea around New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. She was formerly the United States Navy
United States Navy

The United States Navy is the navy of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy currently has approximately 331,682 personnel on active duty as of 31 December 2008 and 124,000 in the United States Navy Reserve....
 USNS Tenacious, used to tow sonar arrays
Sonar

Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigation, communicate with or detect other vessels. There are two kinds of sonar: active and passive....
 to detect enemy submarine
Submarine

A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below water. It differs from a submersible, which has only limited underwater capability....
s. A small motor boat, Adventure, is operated from Resolution. Her home port is the city of Gisborne. Resolution carries some of the most advanced survey technology available.

Diving support

Dive Support capability is provided by HMNZS Manawanui
HMNZS Manawanui (A09)

HMNZS Manawanui was commissioned in 1988 as a diving support vessel for the Royal New Zealand Navy. Originally she was built as a diving support vessel, the Star Perseus, for North Sea oil rig operations....
. Manawanui is provided for the use of the Operational Dive Team (ODT), which is trained for deep sea diving, underwater demolition and explosives disposal. Manawanui is a highly specialised Dive Support Vessel.

Inshore patrol craft

The RNZN has one Moa class patrol boat
Moa class patrol boat

The Moa-class patrol boat is a class of patrol boats built between 1978 and 1985 for the Royal New Zealand Navy by the Whangarei Engineering and Construction Company....
, HMNZS Kahu (A 04), which is used for Training and Mine counter measures. Four other craft were decommissioned in 2007.

Aircraft

The RNZN operates five Kaman SH-2G Seasprite
SH-2 Seasprite

The Kaman Aircraft SH-2 Seasprite is a ship-based helicopter with Anti-submarine warfare, ASUW capability, including over-the-horizon targeting....
 helicopters for use on the two frigates, and for future use on the new multi-role vessel and two offshore patrol craft that will be incorporated into the fleet in 2007 and 2008. These five aircraft are part of No. 6 Squadron
No. 6 Squadron RNZAF

No. 6 Squadron Royal New Zealand Air Force is the squadron operating New Zealand's navy's air arm. While historically having been disbanded several times through changes in the country's military structure, it has a history going back to before World War II, when it operated flying boats....
 of the RNZAF. The squadron is based at Whenuapai Air Base
RNZAF Base Auckland

RNZAF Base Auckland is a Royal New Zealand Air Force base located near the upper reaches of the Waitemata Harbour in Auckland, New Zealand. The base formerly comprised two separate airfields, Whenuapai and Hobsonville....
 in Auckland, and helicopters are assigned to the ships as they are sent on deployments across the globe. The roles of the helicopters include:

  • surface warfare missions and surveillance operations
  • under water warfare
  • helicopter delivery services/logistics
  • search and rescue
  • medical evacuation
  • training
  • assistance to other Government agencies


Role


As part of the New Zealand Defence Force

In its Statement of Intent, the NZDF states its primary mission as:

to secure New Zealand from external threat, to protect our sovereign interests, including in the Exclusive Economic Zone
Exclusive Economic Zone

Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, an Exclusive Economic Zone is a seazone over which a state has special rights over the exploration and use of marine Natural resource....
 (EEZ) and to be able to take action to meet likely contingencies in our strategic area of interest.


The intermediate outcomes of the NZDF are listed as:
  1. Secure New Zealand, including its people, land, territorial waters
    Territorial waters

    Territorial waters, or a territorial sea, as defined by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is a belt of coastal waters extending at most twelve nautical miles from the baseline of a coastal state....
    , exclusive economic zone, natural resources and critical infrastructure.
  2. Reduced risks to New Zealand from regional and global insecurity.
  3. New Zealand values and interests advanced through participation in regional and international security systems.
  4. New Zealand is able to meet future national security challenges.


The role of the navy is to fulfil the maritime elements of the missions of the NZDF.

International participation

The RNZN has a role to help prevent any unrest occurring in New Zealand. This can be done by having a presence in overseas waters and assisting redevelopment in troubled countries. For example, any unrest in the Pacific Islands
Pacific Islands

The Pacific Ocean contains an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 islands . Those islands lying south of the tropic of Cancer but excluding Australia are traditionally grouped into three divisions: Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia....
 has the potential to affect New Zealand because of the large Pacific Island population. The stability of the South Pacific is considered in the interest of New Zealand. The navy has participated in peace-keeping and peace-making in East Timor
East Timor

East Timor, also known as Timor-Leste is a country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro Island and Jaco , and Oecussi-Ambeno, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor....
, Bougainville
Bougainville Province

The Autonomous Region of Bougainville, also known as North Solomons, is an autonomous region in Papua New Guinea and is the largest of the Solomon Islands group....
 and the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands

For the group of islands rather than the nation, see Solomon Islands .The Solomon Islands is a country in Melanesia, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands....
, supporting land based operations.

Civilian roles

The 2002 Maritime Forces Review identified a number of roles that other government agencies required the RNZN to undertake. Approximately 1,400 days at sea are required to fulfil these roles annually.

Roles include patrolling the Exclusive Economic Zone
Exclusive Economic Zone

Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, an Exclusive Economic Zone is a seazone over which a state has special rights over the exploration and use of marine Natural resource....
, transport to offshore islands, and support for the New Zealand Customs Service
New Zealand Customs Service

The Customs Service is a state sector organisations in New Zealand of New Zealand whose role is to provide border control and protect the community from potential risks arising from international trade and travel, as well as collecting Tarrif and Tax on imports to the country....
.

The RNZN produces hydrographic information for Land Information New Zealand
Land Information New Zealand

Land Information New Zealand is a New Zealand State sector organisations in New Zealand. The current Chief Executive is Colin MacDonald. The current Minister of State Services is Richard Worth....
 under a commercial contract arrangement.

Current deployments

Since 2001, both ANZAC frigates have participated in the United States' Operation Enduring Freedom
Operation Enduring Freedom

Operation Enduring Freedom is the official name used by the U.S. Government for its contribution to the War in Afghanistan , together with three smaller military actions, under the umbrella of its War on Terrorism ....
 in the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf

The Persian Gulf, in the Southwest Asian region, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. Historically and commonly known as the Persian Gulf, this body of water is sometimes Persian Gulf naming dispute referred to as the Arabian Gulf by certain Arab countries or simply The Gulf, although nei...
 and have conducted maritime patrol operations in support of American and allied efforts in Afghanistan
Afghanistan

Afghanistan , officially the Islamic republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country that is located approximately in the center of Asia....
.

On 21 June 2006 Te Mana was in South East Asia, and Te Kaha was in New Zealand waters, to be deployed to South East Asia in the second half of 2006.

Current personnel

As at 1 July 2007 the RNZN had a total of 2,034 Regular Force personnel, 237 Naval Reserve personnel and 378 civilian employees, totalling 2,699. Around 1800 of that total are based at the Devonport Naval base in Auckland.

Reserves
The primary reserve component of the RNZN is the Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve
Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve

The Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve is the volunteer reserve force of the Royal New Zealand Navy ....
 (RNZNVR), which is organised into four units based in Auckland (with a satellite unit at Tauranga), Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin:
  • HMNZS Ngapona: Naval Reserve, Auckland
  • HMNZS Olphert: Naval Reserve, Wellington
  • HMNZS Pegasus: Naval Reserve, Christchurch
  • HMNZS Toroa: Naval Reserve, Dunedin


At present civilians can join the RNZNVR in one of three branches: Administration, Sea Service (for service on IPVs), and Maritime Trade Organisation (formerly Naval Control of Shipping). In addition ex regular force personnel can now join the RNZNVR in their former branch, and depending on time out of the service, rank. The need to attend compulsory training one night a week has recently been removed. As of 1 July 2007 there were 237 reserve personnel.

Training

Naval Ratings begin a 12 week basic training course (Basic Common Training) prior to commencing their branch training which focuses on their chosen trade.

Finance


Routine funding

The RNZN is funded through a "vote" of the New Zealand Parliament. The New Zealand Defence Force funds personnel, operating and finance costs. Funding is then allocated to specific "Output Classes", which are aligned to policy objectives.

Funding allocation in each Output Class includes consumables, personnel, depreciation and a 'Capital Charge'. The Capital Charge is a budgetary mechanism to reflect the cost of Crown capital and averages approximately 10% of the value of the asset it is charged against.

Large Projects

The Ministry of Defence (New Zealand)
Ministry of Defence (New Zealand)

The New Zealand Ministry of Defence is the arm of the New Zealand Government charged with providing advice on defense matters, as well as providing civilian administration and oversight over the New Zealand Defence Force....
 is responsible for the acquisition of significant items of military equipment needed to meet New Zealand Defence Force capability requirements. Funding for the Ministry of Defence is appropriated separately.

Onshore establishments


The Royal New Zealand Naval Museum
The Museum, adjacent to HMNZS Philomel, the RNZN Naval Base in Devonport (Auckland), contains important collections of naval artefacts, and extensive records. Supporters may join the Friends of the Royal New Zealand Naval Museum

Naval Communications Facility Irirangi
HMNZS Irirangi was a Naval Communication Station at Waiouru
Waiouru

Waiouru is a small town in the centre of the North Island of New Zealand. It is on the North Island Volcanic Plateau, 25 kilometres south-east of Mount Ruapehu, and in the Ruapehu District....


Future fleet


The shape of the future fleet was detailed by a New Zealand Government report, the 2002 Maritime Forces Review. The review determined that the current fleet structure was inadequate to support ongoing patrol and response requirements within New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone. Project Protector was commissioned to address some of these shortcomings.

Future fleet (as of construction of all vessels complete, some still to be commissioned):
  • 2 x ANZAC Frigates
  • 1 x Multi-role vessel
  • 2 x Offshore Patrol vessels
  • 4 x Inshore Patrol vessels
  • 1 x Replenishing ship
  • 1 x Dive Support vessel
  • 1 x Hydrographic Survey vessel


Project Protector

The Ministry of Defence acquisition project to acquire one multi-role vessel, two offshore and four inshore patrol vessels, to be operated by the RNZN to conduct tasks for and with New Zealand Customs, the Department of Conservation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ministry of Fisheries, Maritime New Zealand & the New Zealand Police.

See also

  • History of New Zealand
    History of New Zealand

    The history of New Zealand dates back at least 700 years to when it was discovered and settled by Polynesians, who developed a distinct Maori culture centred on kinship links and land....
  • New Zealand Sea Cadet Corps
    New Zealand Sea Cadet Corps

    The Sea Cadet Corps or Sea Cadets, is one of the three corps in the New Zealand Cadet Forces, the other two being the New Zealand Air Training Corps, and the New Zealand Cadet Corps....
  • New Zealand military ranks
    New Zealand military ranks

    New Zealand military ranks are largely based on those of the United Kingdom. The three forces have their own rank structure, with a rank equivalency that allows seamless interoperability between the services....
  • Military history of New Zealand
    Military history of New Zealand

    The military history of New Zealand is an aspect of the history of New Zealand that spans several hundred years. When first settled by Maori almost a millennium ago, there was much land and resources, but war began to break out as the country's carrying capacity was approached....
  • New Zealand Defence College
    New Zealand Defence College

    The New Zealand Defence College is the premier educational institute for the New Zealand Defence Force and is located at Trentham Military Camp, Upper Hutt ....


Further reading
  • Rear-Admiral Jack Welch, "New Zealand's navy seeks 'credible minimum,'" International Defence Review 9/1995, Vol. 28 No. 9, pages 75-77


External links

  • (official website)