The mission of the Navy is to contribute to the security and prosperity of all New Zealanders through the delivery of versatile, responsive and effective maritime military capability across the spectrum of operations.

The Navy’s Vision is to be ‘the best small–nation Navy in the world’ (kia mau mana motuhake e te taua moana o te ao).

Organisation and Location

The home of the Navy (te kainga o te taua moana o Aotearoa) is HMNZS Philomel located at Devonport, in North Shore City. This is where the Navy’s Force Elements (ships and the Operational Diving Team [ODT]) and support elements are based and most Naval personnel reside. Around 1,800 personnel work in Devonport, on the ships or in the support organisations that provide administrative, logistics, training, and health, and welfare services to them – and some support to their families.

The SH-2G helicopters are located with 6 Squadron at Whenuapai.

The Naval Dockyard, also at Devonport, is managed under contract by Vosper Thornycroft Fitzroy Ltd.

Navy personnel outside North Shore City are located at Waiouru, Wellington, at Headquarters Joint Forces New Zealand at Trentham, and in Christchurch and Dunedin. There are also Navy personnel serving in New Zealand High Commissions and Embassies who undertake a range of duties around the world. Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNZNVR) units are established in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin; with a smaller unit in Tauranga.

15 Honorary Naval Officers and two Resident Naval Officers are located in larger centres in the North and South Islands.

The Chief of Navy and the Naval Staff are located in Defence House, Headquarters New Zealand Defence Forces in Wellington.

Major Challenge for 2008

The major challenge facing the Navy next year is the introduction into operational service of the seven new ships being acquired under Project Protector – while at the same time continuing to deliver the outputs of the current fleet and contributing to broader NZDF outputs in New Zealand and around the world. This undertaking is a very ambitious one by any standard – but it is one that will provide a good measure of the Navy’s progress towards its Vision.

A successful start has been made with HMNZS Canterbury joining the fleet in June 2007 and starting to generate the amphibious sealift capability that the ship has.

Outputs and Outcomes

The last year saw a continuation of the high operational tempo experienced by the Navy in recent years. The frigates and HMNZS Endeavour were mainly deployed overseas in support of our important defence relationships under the FPDA with Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and the United Kingdom, to complement New Zealand’s important diplomatic and economic interests in the Asia-Pacific region and to shoulder a large part of the training load required to train the personnel required for the future.

All Navy force elements utilised their capabilities to meet government specified outputs and therefore contributed to the Defence Intermediate Outcomes in the following manner.

Intermediate Outcome 1: Secure New Zealand

Protected from Terrorism. The Naval Combat Force, Mine Counter Measures (MCM) and MCM Diving Forces (including the ODT) and Naval Patrol Forces all maintained a capability to assist with responding to acts of terrorism and sabotage through exercises and training activities. The MCM ship HMNZS Manawanui continued to show her versatility by participating in diving operations, generating a credible mine warfare capability, MCM training, RNZN and NZ Army training, multi-agency operations and support to the Defence Technology Agency.
Protected from Transnational Illegal Activities. All Naval Force Elements maintained a capability to respond to transnational illegal activities within New Zealand’s EEZ and other areas within New Zealand’s jurisdiction and illegal incursions into South Pacific Islands’ EEZ and territories. In particular, the Navy’s Inshore Patrol Craft continued to make an often under-stated but significant contribution to multi-agency operations and RNZN training in meeting this outcome. They have also provided platforms by which Navy and other government agencies have gained experience that will be easily transferred to the Protector fleet on arrival. HMNZ ships Moa and Hinau were decommissioned in January 2007 and later sold.
Protected persons and infrastructure from Civil Instability and Disasters. All Naval force elements maintained the capability to provide support and a search and rescue response for civil authorities. Personnel from across the Navy were also available to assist civil authorities if requested. The Hyperbaric Unit in Auckland continued to provide diving medical services to the civil community in NZ. HMNZS Resolution continued its military hydrographic role and conducted the largely unseen, but nonetheless critically important, contracted tasks for coastal and off–shore hydrographic survey of shipping routes for LINZ. HMNZS Resolution also supported the Art Deco weekend in Napier.

Intermediate Outcome 2: Reduced Risks from Regional and Global Insecurity

A Secure, Peaceful and Stable Australia. HMNZ ships Te Mana and Te Kaha took part in a range of bilateral exercises and cooperative training with the Australian Defence Force in support of our Close Defence Relations with Australia. HMNZS Endeavour also provided important support to bilateral exercises in Australia.
A Secure, Peaceful and Stable South Pacific. The Naval Combat Force, Naval Support Force, MCM and MCM Diving Forces, and HMNZS Resolution all maintained a capability to respond to emergencies and civil disasters within the South Pacific. HMNZS Resolution also conducted a Raoul Island resupply for the Department of Conservation.
A Secure and Stable Asia-Pacific Region. The ANZAC class frigate HMNZS Te Kaha, with an embarked Seasprite helicopter carried out defence diplomacy activities in Japan, Korea, and China. Participation in the FPDA exercise Bersama Padu 06 was a major operational training activity as was the assistance provided to the RAN in the generation of their operational capability. HMNZS Te Mana, with an embarked Seasprite helicopter, also carried out important defence diplomacy activities in the Asia-Pacific region; including participation in the FPDA exercise Bersama Shield 07 and a Western Pacific Naval Symposium exercise off Singapore. These activities clearly demonstrated New Zealand’s commitment to this increasingly important regional Navy framework. The tanker HMNZS Endeavour deployed to Asia twice in the 12 month period and visited Japan, Korea, China, Singapore (twice) and Australia, conducting both the FPDA exercise Bersama Padu 06 and exercise Bersama Shield 07. HMNZS Endeavour provided important support to HMNZS Te Mana and to the ships of other Navies during a number of exercises in the region. The RNZN ODT also exercised with FPDA Navies.
A More Secure and Stable World. A short deployment with an Indian Navy Task Group to the Andaman Islands was an important step in the developing relationship between the Indian Navy and the RNZN. While the ships often provide the most visible sign of the Navy contribution, there are several less obvious, but vital, parts of the Navy that play an equally important part. These include the long range strategic communications provided by the Navy’s Communication Station, the management and training of the personnel to man the ships, the logistic and engineering elements that support the ships, and the provision of Navy personnel to joint NZDF contributions to UN Peace Support Operations; for example, in the NZDF PRT in Afghanistan, and UN Peacekeepers around the world. Members of the ODT also participated as members of the NZDF’s EOD contribution to UN operations in Lebanon.

Future Direction

The Navy today is a capable maritime force. However, the Navy of June 2008 will be one that can credibly be characterised as ‘versatile’ across the spectrum of operations – from supporting DOC in New Zealand to supporting and participating in combat operations anywhere in the world.

The versatile Navy will be a significant enabler of the ‘joint effect’ in NZDF operations and of the ‘national effect’ in a range of multi-agency operations.

As has always been the case, however, the potential of the Navy’s ships can only be released and exploited by people of potential. People – and their quantity and quality – will continue to be the critical factor in the Navy’s ability to successfully deliver its outputs – and its ability to achieve its Vision.

Success in recruiting, retaining and motivating them will be an important focus of the Navy’s work during 2008.

The Navy’s Contribution to the Prosperity and Security of all New Zealanders

A secure Asia is critical to NZ's economic well-being

The Navy contributed to a secure and stable Asia by exercising with the Navies of Singapore, Malaysia and India and demonstrating our commitment to the region and our ability to 'make a contribution' if that is ever required.

New Zealand's interests are global

Navy ships were involved with Defence diplomacy visits to 6 countries in the Asia-Pacific region and participated in 7 international maritime exercises. At any one time the Navy can have over 27% of its personnel (539) deployed in ships on operations.

Royal New Zealand Navy

Te Taua Moana o Aotearoa