Exercise Maru, a multi-national, multi-agency exercise, was held in Auckland during 12-19 September. The Customs led exercise was a New Zealand Government Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI). It was designed to test and develop co-operative procedures that would minimise or detect the transportation and smuggling of weapons of mass destruction.
Orions in search of the target vessel
Exercise participants included PSI partners from Australia, Japan, France, Singapore, the United States, New Caledonia and Canada.
The exercise scenario tested the participants’ ability to find a shipment of concealed materials that could be used to make weapons of mass destruction, or components that may be used in their manufacture.
The task was carried out by HMAS Marybrough, FNS La Glorieuse, and HMNZS Resolution (simulating a merchant ship, MV Sea Breeze). Exercise Maru was ably assisted by members of the New Zealand (NZ) Defence Force, NZ Police, NZ Customs Service, NZ Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF), the NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and boarding teams from the US Navy and Republic of Singapore Navy.
As part of the exercise, visiting delegates were able to watch, first-hand, the seizure of a ‘suspicious’ vessel from the flight deck of HMNZS Te Kaha.
Orions overhead
It was a compelling sight as the boarding teams clambered up the side of HMNZS Resolution from RHIBs (Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boats) that had pulled up alongside and then proceeded to search the vessel for its ‘suspicious’ cargo.
Earlier in the week, delegates were treated to a visit to Air Force Base Whenuapai. There they were able to talk to the aircrews of maritime aircraft from the Royal New Zealand Air Force No. 5 and 6 Squadrons, together with a French Armed Forces New Caledonia F50M, and Japan Maritime Self Defence Force P-3C Orion, that had also taken part in the exercise.
According to Robert Lake, Deputy Comptroller Operations from the New Zealand Customs Service, ‘Exercise Maru was a wonderful chance for New Zealand to display its capabilities. The exercise couldn’t have happened without the involvement of the New Zealand Defence Force in particular, and the other agencies.’