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
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Wednesday, 29 October 2025
Arrival of HMNZS Otago, Devonport Naval Base, 1961
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Tuesday, 28 October 2025
Việt Nam, New Zealand navies hold maritime drill off HCM City
October 27, 2025 – 20:49
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
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New Zealand Navy and Babcock reactivate offshore patrol vessel Otago for early 2026 return.
Babcock and the Royal New Zealand Navy have started reactivation work on HMNZS Otago at Devonport, forming an integrated team to overhaul engines, replace obsolete systems, and upgrade navigation, sensors, and controls. The OPV is slated to rejoin the fleet in early 2026, improving New Zealand’s maritime presence and law enforcement capacity across the South Pacific.
Babcock and the New Zealand Defence Force say HMNZS Otago’s regeneration is underway at the company’s Devonport facility, where Babcock serves as Strategic Maritime Partner to the NZDF. The scope includes heavy maintenance on propulsion and power generation, plus modernisation of navigation, sensors, and control automation, with handback to NZDF targeted for early 2026. Officials describe an integrated RNZN industry team on the project, a model used across the fleet to lift availability in the Pacific region. Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
Otago is an 85 metre offshore patrol vessel of roughly 1,900 tonnes, configured for Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) surveillance and at sea law enforcement tasks. (Picture source: Zew Zealand Navy)
Otago is an 85 metre offshore patrol vessel of roughly 1,900 tonnes, configured for Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) surveillance and at sea law enforcement tasks. Propulsion relies on two MAN B&W 12RK280 diesel engines, providing a maximum speed of about 22 knots and a range close to 6,000 nautical miles. The primary armament is a stabilized Rafael Typhoon 25 mm naval gun, remotely controlled from the bridge, supplemented by small arms for boarding teams. Aviation facilities support a Kaman SH 2G(I) Super Seasprite helicopter for surveillance, winching, and logistics, which is useful when sea state limits the use of small craft.
Within RNZN service, the Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) combines endurance, fuel economy, and useful deck volume for multi-agency operations. Otago carries two rigid hull inflatable boats for inspections and has a flight deck sized for the Seasprite, which helps extend the Recognised Maritime Picture/Common Operating Picture (RMP/COP) by embarking liaison officers from fisheries, customs, police, and conservation. Coordination with maritime patrol aviation assets, which cue interceptions, further strengthens the system. When required, crews apply Electromagnetic Emissions Control (EMCON) to reduce detectability and limit the information signature in contested environments.
The decision to reactivate Otago follows an extended period in care and custody and addresses the need to stabilise offshore unit availability while training and maintenance cycles weigh on a fleet with constrained manpower. In recent weeks, Babcock and the RNZN have launched a work package that combines heavy overhaul of engines and generators, replacement of obsolete systems, and modernisation of navigation, sensors, and control automation. The aim is not only to restore baseline performance but also to improve reliability, increasing mean time between failures and reducing corrective maintenance at sea. For a small navy, each completed package matters, since it frees time for training and returns sea days to operational planning.
Otago’s return adds depth to demanding theatres. The South Pacific imposes long transits, sparse infrastructure, and variable weather. A hull with a 6,000 nautical mile range and a usable flight deck enables sustained patrols near the sub-Antarctic islands and rapid presence after cyclones, where seaworthiness, endurance and lift capacity shape outcomes. The boarding fit, the stabilized 25 mm gun and the embarkation of civilian agencies suit maritime law enforcement, from illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing to search and rescue. By bringing the OPV back into the rotation, the RNZN can rebalance tasking among inshore patrol vessels, Anzac class frigates, and the fleet tanker Aotearoa, restoring margin for training, maintenance, and interoperability within regional partnerships.
The Devonport ecosystem is central for New Zealand’s Defence Industrial and Technological Base (BITD). Babcock’s role as Strategic Maritime Partner formalises asset management, project planning and production support delivered with mixed teams of RNZN personnel and NZDF civilians. The Otago reactivation fits this framework, including replacement of life expired equipment, refurbishment of the propulsion train and renewal of navigation and control systems. Over the platform life cycle, these choices translate into shorter maintenance periods, better controlled downtime and a faster return to sea, outcomes that, taken together, improve fleet effectiveness.
New Zealand does not seek power projection, yet it borders vital sea lines of communication, island groups exposed to natural disasters and an information space shaped by great power competition and climate effects. A reliable OPV broadens presence options with partners and supports interoperability, from common procedures to data exchanges that feed the RMP/COP. The signal is continuity, with Wellington investing to maintain a credible constabulary profile at sea while force structure decisions proceed. In the Indo-Pacific policy debate, this steady approach matters because transparent surveillance, routine patrols,and predictable humanitarian response form the fabric of a durable maritime order. Reactivating Otago is less an announcement than the restoration of a regional security tool that delivers daily effects.
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Monday, 27 October 2025
New Zealand Navy’s largest support vessel visits Ho Chi Minh City
The Royal New Zealand Navy’s logistics ship HMNZS Aotearoa, commanded by Commander Rob Welford, docked at Nha Rong-Khanh Hoi International Port on Thursday, beginning a five-day friendly visit to Ho Chi Minh City to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and New Zealand.
| The Ho Chi Minh City Border Guard Command welcomes the crew at Nha Rong–Khanh Hoi International Port. (Photo: Luu Son/VOV in HCMC) |
The two countries have recently agreed to upgrade their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, effective from February 2025.
The visit demonstrates the strong commitment of both nations to fostering mutual understanding and friendship, including through defense cooperation.
During the stay, the ship’s officers are scheduled to pay courtesy calls on leaders of the municipal People’s Committee, Military Zone 7 Command, and Naval Region 2 Command.
The crew will also participate in cultural and sports exchanges, visit local landmarks, and conduct a joint exercise on the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES) with the Vietnam People’s Navy.
HMNZS Aotearoa, measuring 173.2 metres in length and 24.5 metres in width with a displacement of 26,000 tons, is the largest tanker and replenishment vessel of the Royal New Zealand Navy.
In addition to providing logistical support for naval operations, the ship is designed to carry out humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions.
This marks the second visit by HMNZS Aotearoa to Ho Chi Minh City in three years, following a joint visit in 2023 alongside the frigate HMNZS Te Mana.
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Thursday, 23 October 2025
NZDF ship and aircraft deploy to Indo-Pacific region for operations and exercises – HMNZS Aotearoa and RNZAF P-8A Poseidon
The New Zealand Defence Force will shortly deploy air and naval assets to support United Nations monitoring of North Korea as it also conducts operations, training and engagements with partners while in the region.
22 October, 2025
The NZDF regularly deploys assets and personnel throughout the Indo-Pacific as part of New Zealand’s commitment to supporting a secure and prosperous region.
A Royal New Zealand Air Force P-8A Poseidon will this month participate for the first time in a Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force-led Annual Exercise. The tactical exercise, involving anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, is a multilateral exercise involving Japan, the United States, Australia, Canada, France and New Zealand.
It takes place around Japan and will involve about 20 vessels and 20 aircraft.
Air Component Commander Air Commodore Andy Scott said the exercise was “a fantastic opportunity to train with partners in the region, demonstrate interoperability, build on our relationships, and strengthen cooperation between our forces”.
Following the exercise, the Poseidon and personnel will continue to be based in Japan to contribute to operations detecting and deterring evasions of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sanctions resolutions on North Korea.
The sanctions are intended to persuade North Korea to denuclearise and abandon its ballistic missile weapons capabilities.
Patrols, over international waters, look for violations of the sanctions resolutions including illicit ship-to-ship transfers of banned goods such as oil and coal.
For the second year, Royal New Zealand Navy sustainment vessel HMNZS Aotearoa will also contribute to the UNSC efforts.
After time in Singapore and fresh from the Five Power Defence Arrangements’ Exercise Bersama Lima, HMNZS Aotearoa, with an embarked Seasprite helicopter, has been readying for its contribution to UNSC monitoring.
A Royal New Zealand Air Force P-8A Poseidon (file photo)
Last year, the ship located four vessels of interest, questioned 62 vessels and broadcast 52 deterrent messages. It also conducted nine operational replenishments at sea to allow partner nations’ warships to stay at sea longer and increase the effectiveness of the overall effort.
Commanding Officer, Commander Rob Welford, said the ship would again conduct surveillance patrols and reporting as well as replenishments of partner nation vessels, operating in the region.
“Last year, there was considerable interest shown by Chinese Peoples’ Liberation Navy ships and we also saw Russian Federation Navy vessels as well. And then on top of that there’s the unpredictability of the country we’re enforcing sanctions on,” he said.
“Supporting the international rules-based order is a very real statement when you’re on the water up here doing the mahi.”
“I know I can talk on behalf of everybody aboard the ship when I say we’re looking forward to playing our part again,” he said.
The ship will also conduct official visits to Vietnam and the Philippines while in the region.
New Zealand contributes to the Pacific Security Maritime Exchange, a multinational coalition formed in 2018 to monitor UNSC sanctions. The NZDF has been deploying its long-range maritime patrol aircraft to conduct UNSC monitoring missions since then.
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Wednesday, 22 October 2025
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