As the South West Pacific high-risk weather season from November to April gets underway, the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) is reinforcing preparedness of its response capabilities.
11 November, 2025
The frigate HMNZS Te Kaha and the multi-role ship HMNZS Canterbury and their crews, the Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief Task Unit consisting of land forces, and various Royal New Zealand Air Force aircraft are on standby to support humanitarian assistance and disaster relief tasks should they be required.
Two NZDF personnel have also joined the Brisbane-based Pacific Response Group (PRG) to help coordinate military response efforts to weather events.
The PRG is an initiative of the South Pacific Defence Ministers Meeting, designed to strengthen coordination and readiness, and improve the effectiveness of military contributions to humanitarian crises in the Pacific.
It brings together militaries from Australia, Fiji, France, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Tonga, with the aim of providing rapid humanitarian assistance and disaster relief options that complement local and international civilian efforts.
The New Zealand Army’s Warrant Officer Class 2 Don Mohr, right, with Pacific Response Group personnel undertake induction training aboard Australian Defence Force ship ADV Reliant.
Commander Joint Forces New Zealand, Major General Rob Krushka, said the NZDF was committed to standing with its Pacific whānau.
“Each year the high-risk weather season brings an elevated chance of cyclones and extreme weather in the Pacific.
“We always hope it doesn’t happen, but if it does, we are prepared to provide our expertise and assets to support our regional partners and civilian agencies in response.
“We remain ready, interoperable and working shoulder-to-shoulder with our partners when communities need us.”
In recent years, the NZDF has been called on to assist in the response to 2015’s Cyclone Pam which struck Vanuatu, Tuvalu and Kiribati, 2016’s Cyclone Winston which hit Fiji, and the Tongan volcanic eruption in 2022.
In November, 2005, the former HMNZS Wellington (F69), a Batch 3 Leander Class Frigate was sunk off the coast of Island Bay in Wellington.NZPA/Anthony Phelps
Below the waters of Houghton Bay is a warship – its forward guns intact, anchors in place, helipad empty. It is the HMNZS Wellington and it’s now a living reef.
The day it was scuttled – November 13, 2005 – stopped Wellington in its tracks.
In the single biggest public event ever seen in Wellington – Scuttling Day as it was known – meant thousands of cars were abandoned, parked along the roads of Ōwhiro Bay, Island Bay, Houghton Bay and Lyall Bay as spectators filled the area to watch.
The crowds in 2005 brought Wellington to a standstill as they gathered to see the sinking of the HMNZS Wellington.Marco Zeeman
The sinking itself took under two minutes – the traffic jam took hours to fade away.
Marco Zeeman, a former Wellingtonian of the Year, had seen trawlers and ships repurposed as reefs while in Hawaii.
On returning home, he helped with the sinking of the Waikato in late 2000 and knew the HMNZS Wellington had also been decommissioned. He set up the SinkF69 Trust – and literally made history.
The Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy and the Royal New Zealand Navy was originally commissioned in 1969 and called Bacchante. It joined New Zealand’s navy in 1982 before being decommissioned in 1999.
The frigate had been extensively refitted – a four-year mission which included new fuel tanks, a new gunnery control system along with surface and navigation radar.
The Wellington had been to Fiji during the first coup there to help evacuate Kiwis and other foreign nationals, went to Sydney to take part in the Bicentennial Salute to mark the 200th anniversary of European settlement, went to Bougainville for peace keeping and to the Persian Gulf in 1995-96 supporting UN sanctions on Iraqi trade.
The SinkF69 Trust obtained resource consents in 2002 to buy the Wellington – for $1 – and sink it off Wellington’s South Coast.
The hull and propellers of F69, the former HMNZS Wellington, were cleaned as the frigate was prepared for scuttling off Wellington’s coast as a dive attraction.john selkirk
In 2005 the Wellington was towed fromAuckland’s Devonport Naval Base to Wellington where it sat at the Overseas Terminal as it was stripped. More than 100,000 people were able to visit the ship.
Holes were cut in the topsides and superstructure to allow the sinking and to allow access for divers.
A text competition was held by Telecom (now Spark) to be the person who would push the button setting off the explosives that would drop the ship.
Run over the 027 mobile network it was a text version of Battleships and at the end Auckland student Jo Smith won, beating off 115,000 entrants who sent 5.4 million text messages in a three-week period.
Zeeman said she was also the daughter of a crewman of the ship.
Originally scheduled for 3pm the previous day, the sinking was delayed by bad weather. Even on the day, strong winds slowed progress as tugs worked to position the ship.
Wellington city stopped to watch. The roads were blocked and boats took to the water – 236 according to the harbourmaster at the time’s count.
First came fireworks, smoke, and an explosion — then a ball of orange flame and a massive boom. The ship sank, settling upright about 20 metres down, its bow pointing into Cook Strait.
Former Wellington Mayor Kerry Prendergast sits on the now-silent guns of the frigate HMNZS Wellington in the waters off Island Bay after the warship was scuttled. She was one of the first divers to visit the ship.Dave Hansford
And just like that Wellington had a new attraction.
The wreck was then cleared by Police divers and later that day the first official dive took place.
The next year a huge storm caused the wreckage to break apart, the bow broke off and lay onto its side, secured by its 12-tonne mushroom anchor, with the hangar space collapsing under the pressure of the massive waves.
Some debris from the ship also washed ashore.
The Wellington now lies in two main sections on the seabed, close to where it was sunk. The bow rests on its side, 4.5″ guns intact, with the bridge and midship area nearby.
Pieces of the ship are all over Wellington – sold off when the ship was stripped – with the bell now at Wellington City Council, propellers in Cog Park, Houghton Bay and Waitangi Park while the capstan, the huge vertical winch used for pulling ropes or cables, is in Capstan Lane in Whitby.
HMAS Ballarat conducts a replenishment at sea with HMNZS Aotearoa in the South China Sea during Regional Presence Deployment 25-4. *** Local Caption *** The Royal Australian Navy is undertaking its fourth Regional Presence Deployment for 2025. From early September until early December, HMAS Ballarat will sail throughout the Indo-Pacific to conduct training, exercises and other engagements with regional navies. Regional Presence Deployments play a vital role in Australia’s security and prosperity by protecting our interests, preserving a rules-based international order, enhancing cooperation and relationships with partners and allies, and developing capability and interoperability.Ship’s Company HMAS Ballarat during a Replenishment at Sea with HMNZS Aotearoa in the South China Sea as part of Regional Presence Deployment 25-4. *** Local Caption *** The Royal Australian Navy is undertaking its fourth Regional Presence Deployment for 2025. From early September until early December, HMAS Ballarat will sail throughout the Indo-Pacific to conduct training, exercises and other engagements with regional navies. Regional Presence Deployments play a vital role in Australia’s security and prosperity by protecting our interests, preserving a rules-based international order, enhancing cooperation and relationships with partners and allies, and developing capability and interoperability.HMAS Ballarat conducts a replenishment at sea with HMNZS Aotearoa in the South China Sea during Regional Presence Deployment 25-4. *** Local Caption *** The Royal Australian Navy is undertaking its fourth Regional Presence Deployment for 2025. From early September until early December, HMAS Ballarat will sail throughout the Indo-Pacific to conduct training, exercises and other engagements with regional navies. Regional Presence Deployments play a vital role in Australia’s security and prosperity by protecting our interests, preserving a rules-based international order, enhancing cooperation and relationships with partners and allies, and developing capability and interoperability.
HMAS Ballarat continues her robust program of international engagements, conducting replenishments at sea (RAS) and helicopter cross-deck landings with HMNZS Aotearoa in the South China Sea.
Ballarat and Aotearoa conducted three RAS evolutions with concurrent helicopter cross-deck landings over seven hours, running late into the night on October 28.
Executive Officer Ballarat Lieutenant Commander Kane Stuart praised the crew for their conduct and professionalism throughout the important evolution.
“The team did a fantastic job supporting each other throughout the day to ensure we carried out each evolution safely, and to support Aotearoa in achieving her training outcomes,” Lieutenant Commander Stuart said.
“Cooperative activities like this also form an important aspect of Australia’s presence in the Indo-Pacific, working with our partners and allies to support security and stability in the region.”
This engagement forms part of Ballarat’s regional presence deployment, and a mission readiness workup for Aotearoa, which is deployed to the region under Operation Crucible.
Replenishments at sea are whole ship evolutions, and a team of combat systems operators who typically spend 12 hours a day on consoles in the operations room were excited to be involved.
“It’s great to get outdoors and experience evolutions like this in person,” Able Seaman Mike Obersnell said.
“This is my first overseas deployment so it’s really cool to experience working with other navies at sea.
“This also gives me a greater appreciation for the bigger picture and understanding why we’re here working with our partners and allies across the Indo-Pacific region.”
This engagement continues Ballarat’s strong sequence of international activities with nations and navies across the Indo-Pacific, which began on September 1.
New Zealand’s largest naval logistics vessel the HMNZS Aotearoa, which docked at the Port of Manila on Friday and departed Monday, was among the ships that took part in the 12th Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MMCA) in the West Philippine Sea, its commanding officer has confirmed.
Commander Rob Welford said the Aotearoa’s participation in the MMCA included joint maneuvers with ships from the Philippines, the United States, and Australia.
“We took part in another multinational maritime cooperative activity. So we’ve actually already done another one this visit before we came in yesterday with the Philippine Navy ship Jose Rizal,” Welford told GMA Integrated News.
He added that their exercises with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) were focused on humanitarian assistance and disaster response, areas where New Zealand’s navy has extensive experience.
“The Jose Rizal and an American ship, USS Fitzgerald, and an Australian ship, HMAS Ballarat. We met up in the morning at first light,” he said.
The AFP earlier confirmed that the MMCA was conducted in partnership with the United States, Australia, and New Zealand as part of broader efforts to uphold international law and promote peace and stability in the region.
“This latest exercise reflects the four nations’ commitment to strengthening maritime cooperation, enhancing interoperability, and championing a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific,” the AFP said in a statement.
The goodwill visit of HMNZS Aotearoa comes six months after the Philippines and New Zealand signed the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA)—a defense pact enabling both countries to hold more joint military activities and exchanges.
GMA Integrated News was among the few media organizations invited aboard t. The ship can carry up to 10 million liters of fuel and produce potable water from seawater through reverse osmosis purification, allowing it to assist nations affected by natural disasters.
The Aotearoa serves primarily as a replenishment vessel capable of refueling and resupplying allied warships.
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A C-Sprite helicopter used for evacuation and search and rescue operations sits on the Aotearoa’s flight deck.
“The one thing we can really offer the Philippines is practice in training in replenishment at sea—that is our primary mission,” Welford said.
“New Zealand urges all parties to abide by international rules and norms, including UNCLOS the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea,” she said.
HMNZS Aotearoa previously joined similar multilateral maritime activities in 2023 with the Philippines and allied nations in the West Philippine Sea. China had earlier criticized such cooperative exercises, claiming they do not help resolve disputes in the South China Sea.
Welford, however, maintained that New Zealand’s deployment serves a clear purpose.
“This part of the world is extremely important to New Zealand. We’ve got our friends here, and we’re going to operate with them,” he said.
“ If someone else feels that’s provocative, I would say that’s up to them,” he added. — BM, GMA Integrated News
Crowds gathered at Devonport Naval Base (HMNZS Philomel) for the arrival of HMNZS Otago (F111), the Royal New Zealand Navy’s new Whitby-class anti-submarine frigate.
Date of Image 1961-01-27
The two sides carried out a series of coordinated operations, including formation maneuvering, at-sea salute procedures, information exchange, and training in international signal communication, alongside following the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea.
HCM CITY — The Vietnamese Navy’s Vessel 379 from Brigade 167 of Naval Region 2 conducted a joint drill with the Royal New Zealand Navy’s largest support vessel HMNZS Aotearoa in waters southeast of HCM City on Monday.
The Vietnamese vessel was led by Sen. Lieut. Col. Phạm Văn Phương, Deputy Brigade Commander and Chief of Staff of Brigade 167, while the guest side was captained by Lieut. Col. Robert Welford, with a crew of 109 sailors.
The two sides carried out a series of coordinated operations, including formation maneuvering, at-sea salute procedures, information exchange, and training in international signal communication, alongside following the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES). All operations adhered closely to a pre-agreed plan.
Earlier from October 23 to 27, HMNZS Aotearoa made a courtesy port call at Nhà Rồng Wharf in HCM City, where its crew engaged in exchange and goodwill activities with representatives from Việt Nam’s Naval Region 2 Command. Brigade 167 also sent a working group aboard HMNZS Aotearoa to finalise the joint exercise plan and share expertise in logistics and technical operations.
Phương said the drill helped bolster Vietnamese naval officers and soldiers’ foreign language skills, ship-handling capabilities, collision-avoidance techniques, and readiness for unexpected maritime encounters. It also supported proficiency in signal flags, semaphore, and international maritime communications, while raising knowledge about maritime safety and improving coordination, thus fostering mutual understanding, trust, and cooperation between the Việt Nam People’s Navy and the Royal New Zealand Navy.
He added that the exercise showcased the professionalism and competence of Brigade 167 personnel, contributing to the continued enhancement of friendship, cooperation, and development for the sake of peace, stability, security, and safety at sea. — VNA/VNS
New Zealand’s largest naval logistics vessel the HMNZS Aotearoa, which docked at the Port of Manila on Friday and departed Monday, was among the ships that took part in the 12th Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MMCA) in the West Philippine Sea, its commanding officer has confirmed.
