East Coaster Kane Sutherland now commander of frigate Te Kaha

by Andrew Ashton

Published February 09, 2022 1:49PM

SHIP-SHAPE: Commander Kane Sutherland took control of frigate HMNZS Te Kaha from Commander Brock Symmons in a ceremony outside the National Museum of the Royal New Zealand Navy in Devonport last week. Picture supplied

‘I have the ship’: With those words Kane Sutherland, who schooled in Tolaga Bay and Gisborne and has family here, took command of frigate HMNZS Te Kaha last week. Commander Sutherland also marked 20 years in the Royal New Zealand Navy on Saturday. Picture supplied

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A former Gisborne student is now the officer in charge of one of New Zealand Navy’s two combat vessels.

Kane Sutherland was appointed to Commander of the frigate Te Kaha earlier this week.

Born in Napier and educated at Tolaga Bay and Campion College, he joined the Royal New Zealand Navy in 2002 straight from school.

Speaking to The Herald, Commander Sutherland said the position of Commander was one he had been working towards over his near-20-year career.

“The primary task for the frigate is to conduct security patrols and surveillance.

“We do a lot around South East Asia. We can operate over in the Middle East whether it’s full operations or conducting military exercises with our partners to make sure we can work well with them if we need to.

“We have quite a lot of capability. The frigate has the full system of capability in the navy. We have a crew of 178 and can carry a naval helicopter as well.”

Commander Sutherland celebrated 20 years in the navy on Saturday.

“I’m honoured to have the privilege of being able to get appointed Commander of a frigate.

“We only have two of them so it’s not something that’s afforded to everyone.”

HMNZS Te Kaha is an Anzac-class frigate armed with a five-inch, 54-millimetre calibre fully automatic lightweight gun, anti-air missile defence and close-in weapons systems, as well as anti-submarine torpedoes.

It also has a Kaman Super Seasprite SH-2G(I) helicopter carrying a combination of torpedoes, depth charges, Penguin air-to-ship missiles and an M60 machine gun.

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