HMNZS Aotearoa welcomed home after eight-month deployment
Friends, family, haka, senior defence leaders and the Royal New Zealand Navy band were all on show on the wharves at Devonport Naval Base today to welcome home HMNZS Aotearoa and its 80-strong ship’s company who have been deployed at sea since late March.
12 December, 2025
The return marks the conclusion of an exceptionally demanding operational year for the Navy’s maritime replenishment vessel. The ship spent 307 days away from home and sailed more than 31,000 nautical miles as it conducted exercises and operations from Antarctica to the Korean Peninsula and throughout the wider Indo-Pacific region.
Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral Garin Golding, said the mission demonstrated New Zealand’s commitment to defending the international rules-based system.
“You can’t just talk about it — you have to be at sea doing it — and your friends and partners and the international community need to see you do it as well,” Rear Admiral Golding said.
“And
HMNZS Aotearoa is our Polar-class sustainment vessel built by Hyundai Heavy Industries. Aotearoa is a purpose-built, technologically enhanced asset that adds real value to our combat operations, humanitarian relief functions and operational and training support.
As the fleet tanker, HMNZS Aotearoa played a critical support role throughout the year, from resupplying Scott Base and McMurdo Station to refuelling partner nations’ ships while operating alongside the navies of Australia, Canada, France, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam.
The ship also demonstrated New Zealand’s commitment to freedom of navigation and international law by transiting the Taiwan Strait while en route to support the monitoring of United Nations Security Council sanctions enforcement against North Korea.
While this generated interest from Peoples Liberation Army (Navy) ships which closely monitored HMNZS Aotearoa’s transit, for Commanding Officer, Commander Rob Welford, it was just business as usual sailing in an international sea lane.
The ship’s company could take real pride in what they had accomplished over the course of the year.
Commanding Officer, CDR Rob Welford
“Our Navy’s purpose is to advance New Zealand’s interests from the sea, but another key role is to protect those interests — and I think we can look back on this year and say ‘job done’ on both levels,” Commander Welford said.
He praised the professionalism of his crew and their resilience over the lengthy deployment.
“It’s been a pleasure to work with such a competent and high-performing group of personnel. That’s the benefit of spending this length of time on the water doing the mahi — you leave Devonport as sailors but return as seasoned maritime professionals, with a wealth of new experiences and knowledge under your belt.”
HMNZS Aotearoa and its company will now enjoy a period of leave before beginning preparations for what will be another busy operational year in 2026.
