Story by JP SORIANO, GMA Integrated News
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
This article New Zealand’s largest Navy logistics ship joins PH, US, Australia in WPS exercise was originally published in GMA News Online.
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