Two Royal New Zealand Navy vessels left Devonport Naval Base this morning bound for Hawaii, joining 30 other nations in Exercise Rim of the Pacific — the world’s largest international maritime exercise.
HMNZS Te Mana, a frigate, and HMNZS Aotearoa, the Navy’s replenishment vessel, departed with a combined complement of 280 personnel for the 3,800 nautical mile voyage to the Hawaiian Islands, where RIMPAC runs through July and August.
The biennial exercise draws together 31 nations, around 40 surface ships, five submarines, more than 140 aircraft and upwards of 25,000 personnel. Activities range from amphibious operations, gunnery, missile proficiency and anti-submarine warfare through to humanitarian assistance, counter-piracy, mine clearance and diving and salvage operations.
This is New Zealand’s 17th RIMPAC participation. Maritime Component Commander Commodore Shane Arndell, who was on the wharf to farewell the ships as they moved into the Waitematā Harbour, said the value lies in working alongside partners across the Indo-Pacific.
“It provides a valuable opportunity to work seamlessly with international partners to improve interoperability and enhance the operational readiness of our people and platforms, to ensure we can support the maintenance of a free and open Pacific,” he said.
HMNZS Te Mana’s commanding officer, Commander Tuijo Thompson, said the ship’s company had come through an intense three-month work-up following a lengthy maintenance period.
“Exercises of this scale allow us to challenge ourselves in realistic scenarios and demonstrate the professionalism and capability of our sailors, and I am very confident we will not be found wanting.”
This is HMNZS Aotearoa’s third consecutive RIMPAC — a measure of how central the replenishment vessel has become to New Zealand’s coalition maritime contribution. Commanding Officer Commander Rob Welford said alongside warfare activities, Aotearoa would be providing essential replenishment and support to allied ships throughout the exercise.
For many aboard, the voyage is deeply personal. On Te Mana, 22-year-old Able Electronic Technician Serenity Olive is heading on her first overseas deployment.
“This is exactly why I joined the Navy,” she said. “To travel, to challenge myself and be part of a great team — and RIMPAC offers all of that.”
A haka from sailors on the Devonport wharf marked the departure as both ships cleared the harbour and set course north.
