Royal New Zealand Navy

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The first maritime combat activities in New Zealand began with the arrival of the Māori in waka around one thousand years ago. One of the first recorded contacts with the Māori was by Dutchman Abel Tasman, when he was attacked by Māori in war waka off the northern tip of New Zealand's South Island in December 1642.

The association of the Royal Navy with New Zealand began with the arrival of Captain James Cook 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 British and the Māori. William Hobson, a crucial player in the drafting of the Treaty of Waitangi, 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, so as a result the defence of the coastline of New Zealand became the responsibility of the Royal Navy. That role was fulfilled until World War I, and the Royal Navy also played a part in the New Zealand Wars: for example, a gunboat shelled fortified Māori pā from the Waikato River in order to defeat the Māori King Movement.

World War I and the Inter-War Period

In 1909, the New Zealand government decided to fund the purchase of battle cruiser HMS New Zealand for the Royal Navy, which saw action throughout World War I in Europe. The passing of the Naval Defence Act 1913 created the New Zealand Naval Forces, however this was still as a part of the Royal Navy, and from 1921 to 1941 the force was known as the the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy. The first purchase by the New Zealand government for the New Zealand Naval Forces was the cruiser HMS Philomel, which escorted New Zealand land forces to occupy the German colony of Samoa in 1914. Philomel saw further action under the command of the Royal Navy in the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, and the Persian Gulf.

Between World War I and World War II, the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy consisted of the two cruisers HMNZS Achilles and HMNZS Leander, and a minesweeper, HMNZS Wakakura.

World War II

File:Admiral Graf Spee Scuttled.jpg

The Admiral Graf Spee scuttled, following the Battle of the River Plate, in which she was engaged by New Zealand cruiser HMNZS Achilles

When Britain went to war against Germany in 1939, New Zealand immediately followed by also declaring war. In 1941, the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy became the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN), in recognition of the fact that the naval force was now largely self-sufficient and independent of the Royal Navy.

HMNZS Achilles participated in the first major naval battle of World War II, the Battle of the River Plate off the River Plate estuary between Argentina and Uruguay in 1939. Achilles and two other Royal Navy cruisers, HMS Ajax and HMS Exeter, was in an operation which forced the crew of the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee to scuttle her rather than face the loss of many more German seamen's lives. This decision apparently infuriated Hitler.

HMNZS Leander escorted the New Zealand Expeditionary Force to the Middle East in 1940, and was then deployed in the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, where she was subjected to air and naval attack from Axis forces, conducted bombardments and escorted convoys.

As the war progressed, the size of the RNZN greatly increased, and by the end of WWII there were over sixty ships in commission. These ships participated as part of the British and Commonwealth effort against the Axis in Europe, and against the Japanese in the Pacific. They also played an important role in the defence of New Zealand, from German raiders, and especially when the threat of invasion from Japan appeared imminent in 1942. Many merchant boats were requisitioned and armed for help in defence. One of these was the HMNZS Monowai, who later saw action against a Japanese submarine off Fiji 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, so operational control of the RNZN was transferred to the United States Navy South Pacific Command.

In August 1945, as the War ended, Achilles and the cruiser HMNZS Gambia, were off Japan. Gambia was New Zealand's representative at Japan's surrender.

Post-War

RNZN ships participated in the Korean War, Malayan Emergency, Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation and Vietnam War. 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 neitral shipping in the Indian Ocean. Frigates were also sent to participate in the first Gulf War, and more recently Operation Enduring Freedom. The RNZN has played an important part in conflicts in the Pacific as well. Naval forces have been strongly utilised in the Bougainville and Solomon Islands conflicts, and in East Timor. The navy often participates in United Nations peacekeeping operations.

RNZN frigates HMNZS Canterbury, Otago, Taranaki, & Waikato, on exercise in Wellington Harbour 1980.

The navy has played a much broader role than just conflict-related activities. Since 1946, the RNZN has been policing New Zealand's territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zone in furtherance of fisheries protection. It also aids New Zealand's deployment in Antarctica, at Scott Base.

One of the most well-known roles that the RNZN has played on the world stage was when an RNZN frigate was sent by the Labour Government of Norman Kirk to Moruroa Atoll in 1976 to protest French nuclear testing on the atoll. The frigate was sent into the potential blast zone of the weapon, which forced France to postpone the tests.

The Modern RNZN

Current Fleet

Main article: Current Royal New Zealand Navy ships

New Zealand naval ships are known as HMNZS: "Her Majesty's New Zealand Ship...". The Queen is the Head of State of New Zealand.

The RNZN is currently in a transitory period where its role is being broadened into a Navy that is more versatile than in the more recent past. Where it used to be more frigate and therefore combat orientated, a number of new ships are soon to be incorporated into the fleet which will give the Navy a much broader platform to work from. These ships will not be operational until 2007, however, so are not part of the current fleet.

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

Naval Combat Force

HMNZS Te Mana

The naval combat force of the RNZN currently consists of two Anzac Class frigates: HMNZS Te Kaha and HMNZS Te Mana. Both ships are based at the Devonport Naval Base on Auckland's North Shore. Te Kaha was commissioned on July 26, 1997 and Te Mana on December 10, 1999.

The specifications and armaments of the two ships are identical.

Logistics Support

HMNZS Endeavour (A11) is the fleet tanker of the RNZN. It 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 Captain James Cook to New Zealand on his first voyage to that country in 1769. The home port of Endeavour is the city of New Plymouth.

Hydrographic Force

The hydrographic ship of the RNZN is HMNZS Resolution. Resolution is used to survey and chart the sea around New Zealand and her inshore waters, and was formerly used by the United States Navy(as USNS Tenacious) to tow sonar arrays to detect enemy submarines. A small motor boat, Adventure, is operated from Resolution.

Diving Support

The RNZN diving support vessel is the HMNZS Manawanui (A09). Manawanui is provided for the use of the RNZN's Operational Dive Team (ODT), who are trained for deep sea diving, underwater demolition and explosives disposal. Manawanui also has limited carriage capacity.

Inshore Patrol Craft

The RNZN has five Moa class patrol boats, which are used for a range of activities such as training and resource protection; these vessels used to be operated by the Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve, but more recently have been employed directly by the regular Navy. These vessels are:

• HMNZS Moa (P3553)
• HMNZS Kiwi (P3554)
• HMNZS Wakakura (P3555)
• HMNZS Hinau (P3556)
• HMNZS Kahu (A 04)

Aircraft

Main article: No. 6 Squadron RNZAF

The Navy operates operates five Kaman SH-2G Seasprite helicopters for use on the two frigates, and for future use on some of the new vessels that will be incorporated into the fleet in 2006-2007. These five aircraft are part of No. 6 Squadron of the RNZAF. The Squadron is based at Whenuapai Air Base 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 of the RNZN

Purpose of the New Zealand Defence Force

See also: New Zealand Defence Force

The role and purpose of the RNZN is interrelated with the role and purpose of the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) as a whole. 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 (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, 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 maratime elements of the primary and secondary missions of the NZDF.

Defence of New Zealand from Attack

The primary role of any navy is to defend its country from naval attack by a hostile state, and, depending on the capability and equipment of the navy, assist that country's air force in repelling an air borne attack. This is also the main purpose of the RNZN. If New Zealand were to be attacked, the two frigates would be the primary form of defence.

The naval guns mounted on the bows of the frigates are for use against hostile surface vessels. The torpedos on the frigates and frigate-based Sea Sprite helicopters (and also the RNZAF Orions) can also be used against hostile surface vessels, and submarines. The frigates are also equipped with surface-to-air (SAM) missiles which can be fired at hostile aircraft, and to a limited extent, hostile missiles.If New Zealand is being subjected to an ambhibious assault, the frigates also have machine guns which can be used against landing craft.

Protection of Exclusive Economic Zone

New Zealand also has an extensive exclusive economic zone (EEZ), which gives New Zealand exclusive rights to fisheries and a number of other resources in that area. This area is often subject to both international and domestic illegal fishing. The current patrol craft have the role of policing this zone, as do the frigates to a lesser extent. The new inshore and offshore patrol craft will also control this area.

Participation in International Security Operations

It is also important that the RNZN 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 has the potential to spill over into New Zealand because of the large Pacific Island immigrant population in that country. If the RNZN can help stabilise the situation in the Islands, it will make New Zealand a safer place. The navy has participated in peace-keeping and peace-making in East Timor, Bougainville and the Solomon Islands.

It is clear that the NZDF alone would not be able to protect New Zealand if the country were attacked, so it is important to build stable relationships with other countries. This can be done through participation in international defence operations, such as the current War on Terror. Both Te Kaha and Te Mana, and the former RNZN frigate HMNZS Canterbury have participated in the Persian Gulf since 2001. As well as developing allegiances, such deployments also help to prevent terrorism spreading into New Zealand by rooting it out at its source.

Non-Military Roles

The 2002 Maritime Forces Review identified a number of roles that other government agencies required the RNZN to undertake. Consultation with these civilian agencies identified that, with multi-tasking, approximately 1371 surface patrol days were required to meet their collective patrol requirements in the Exclusive Economic Zone.

Role	Principal Agency (s)	Planned/Response	Full requirement (days)	% of total
EEZ, Southern Ocean and South Pacific Patrols	MFish, DoC, MAF, MFAT, Customs, NZDF, Police	Planned/Response	1279	93.2
Sealift (Civilian)	DoC, MFAT	Planned	45	3.3
Pollution Control	MSA, DoC	Response	20	1.5
Disaster Relief	NZDF, MFAT	Response	15	1.1
Search & Rescue	NRCC, Police	Response	12	0.9

In addition to the above roles, The RNZN provides the capabilities required to meet Land Information New Zealand's mapping requirements under contract, and to support selected third parties. The hydrographic and oceanographic survey vessel, HMNZS Resolution, provides the primary collection capability with specialist personnel in the Navy’s Hydrographic Business Unit and the Joint Geospatial Support Facility providing data processing and information management.

Personnel

Reserves

The primary reserve component of the Royal New Zealand Navy is the Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNZNVR), which is organised into a number of geographically-based Divisions, located in Auckland, Tauranga, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.

At present the RNZNVR has three branches: Administration, Sea Service and Maritime Trade Organisation (formerly Naval Control of Shipping). Due to the Moa Class Patrol vessels being transferred to Auckland and the arrival of the new Protector vessels, the role of the RNZNVR is currently being reviewed.

Operating budget

As of FY2005, the RNZN had an operating budget of $NZ597.384 million (37.4% of defence expenditure). This funding represents operating, training and depreciation costs on capital items.

Funding is allocated according to output classes. The two major output classes are:

Naval Combat Forces consumes $NZ531.1M. It provides funding for the provision of the capabilities of HMNZ Ships Te Kaha and Te Mana and associated Seasprite helicopters prepared to conduct maritime operations and to contribute support services to the community.

Naval Support Forces consumes $NZ31.5M. It provisions the capabilities of the Fleet Replenishment Ship, HMNZS Endeavour, prepared to conduct operational and maritime logistic support for deployed military forces, and to contribute some support services to the community. This output expense will also include the capabilities of the new multi-role vessel (MRV) once commissioned into service.

There are also a number of other minor output classes for funding policy development, mine counter-measures, diving, etc. A new Naval Patrol Forces output class will be developed to fund the operation of the new Project Protector ships as they come online.

Onshore Establishments

The Royal New Zealand Naval Museum

The Museum, based adjacent to the HMNZ Naval Base, Devonport, contains important collections of naval artefacts, and extensive records. Supporters may join the Friends of the Royal New Zealand Naval Museum.

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 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.

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 & New Zealand Police.

See Royal New Zealand Navy Future Plans

See Also

• History of New Zealand

External links

• Royal New Zealand Navy homepage
• The New Zealand Defence Force Website
• Google Maps Image of Devonport RNZN Base