22 January 2007
Three of the fleet of five Navy Inshore Patrol Craft will have significant events on Tuesday 23 January 2007at the Devonport Naval Base.
A ceremony to mark the Change of Command for HMNZS WAKAKURA will be held at 1030 and on completion, a final farewell to her sister ships HMNZS MOA and HMNZS HINAU as they are formally decommissioned from operational service, will occur.
Lieutenant Brad King will relinquish command of HMNZS WAKAKURA and Devonport resident and ex pupil of Takapuna Grammar School, Lieutenant Alistair McHaffie, will assume command. The Change of Command Ceremony is traditionally formal and impressive – designed to strengthen that respect for authority, which is vital to any military organisation. Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral David Ledson, will review the ceremony.
On a less celebratory note, two of WAKAKURA’s sister ships, MOA and HINAU, will be farewelled as they decommission and are formally removed from operational service.
Named after World War II minesweepers of the Royal New Zealand Navy, Inshore Patrol Craft MOA and HINAU were attached to the Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve Divisions (RNZNVR) in Dunedin and Auckland respectively until April 2005. Built in Whangarei, New Zealand in the 1970s, the ships were used for conducting basic seamanship and navigation training.
The Inshore Patrol Craft crewed by the Volunteer Reserve supported many Naval and Defence Force exercises, as well as multi agency government work during their service. They conducted fishery patrols, search and rescue operations, mine counter-measure activities, started yacht races, and carried out seamanship training, contributing to the functions of the Defence Force as a whole.
They were relocated to Devonport Naval Base for use as training ships whilst the new ships of Project Protector are built.
Two other Inshore Patrol Craft – HMNZS KIWI and HMNZS WAKAKURA are scheduled to decommission over staged intervals as the four new Inshore Patrol Vessels under Project Protector are bought into operational service. The fifth Inshore Patrol Craft, HMNZS KAHU, will remain as the Navigational and Seamanship Training Ship.
Ends
Particulars of HMNZS MOA (P3553) and HMNZS HINAU (P3556)
Standard Displacement: 91 tonnes
Length Overall: 27 metres
Beam: 6.1 metres
Draught: 2.4 metres
Speed: 12 knots
Range: 1,000 nautical miles
Complement: 18 (composition changes with training requirements)
Propulsion: Two Cummins diesels (710 hp)
Twin shafts
Media are invited to cover the Change of Command and Decommissioning Ceremonies. For further information please contact Lieutenant Commander Barbara Cassin, Navy Public Relations Manager, Ph: (09) 4455002 or Mob: 021-244 0638
Photo ID is required for entry to the Naval Base. For information on the Inshore Patrol Vessels being constructed for your Navy under Project Protector – please visit www.navy.mil.nz