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CONTACT magazine
Royal New Zealand Navy ship HMNZS Aotearoa is farewelled from Devonport Naval Base to participate in RIMPAC 22 and for a 5.5-month deployment to the Asia Pacific region. NZDF photo.
New Zealand News Pacific 

HMNZS Aotearoa deployed until Christmas

16/06/2022 Posted by Brian Hartigan 2169 Views 0 Comments HMNZS Aotearoa

Royal New Zealand Navy ship HMNZS Aotearoa will be taking part in the world’s largest international maritime exercise for the

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HMAS Sydney’s bridge team waves towards Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ship JS Sazanami during a formation foxtrot as part of a regional presence deployment. Story by Lieutenant Tahlia Merigan. Photos by Leading Seaman Daniel Goodman.
News Overseas Royal Australian Navy 

HMAS Sydney participates in ship-to-ship culture swap

09/10/202412/10/2024 Posted by Mike Hughes 2974 Views 0 Comments HMAS Sydney, Japan Maritime Self Defence Force, Regional Presence Deployment, Royal New Zealand Navy, US Navy

Experiencing another country’s ship for a day while in the middle of the ocean isn’t something everyone will get to

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Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's JS Sazanami sails behind Royal New Zealand Navy's HMNZS Aotearoa, centre, while conducting a dual replenishment at sea with HMAS Sydney, left, and USS Howard, right, in the South China Sea. Story by Lieutenant Tahlia Merigan. Photos by LS Daniel Goodman.
News Overseas Royal Australian Navy 

Back in Black in the deep blue

04/10/2024 Posted by Mike Hughes 2349 Views 1 Comment HMAS Sydney, Japan Maritime Self Defence Force, Philippine Navy, Replenishment at Sea (RAS), Royal New Zealand Navy, US Navy

HMAS Sydney recently formed up with ships from Japan, New Zealand, Philippines and the United States to conduct a maritime

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Guided missile destroyer HMAS Brisbane prepares to come alongside HMNZS Aotearoa for a replenishment at sea during Exercise Bersama Lima. Story by Lieutenant Commander Andrew Herring. Photo by Petty Officer Troy Haydon.
News Overseas Royal Australian Navy 

Partners hone skills at sea

03/11/2023 Posted by Mike Hughes 2125 Views 0 Comments Exercise Bersama Lima, HMAS Brisbane

HMAS Brisbane recently strengthened international partnerships and honed maritime warfare skills during Exercise Bersama Lima. CAPTION: Guided missile destroyer HMAS Brisbane

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A customs dog team searches for explosives in at the International Antarctic Program terminal in Christchurch. This is the first NZ flight to the ice for the season 2022/23. NZDF photo by Corporal Sean Spivey.
New Zealand News 

NZ Air Force’s Antarctic-support season opens

23/09/2022 Posted by Brian Hartigan 1986 Views 0 Comments Antarctica

The first group of New Zealand Defence Force personnel have arrived in Antarctica on the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s

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US Navy aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln leads a fleet of multi-national ships in formation during Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022. Photo by Corporal Djalma Vuong-De Ramos.
ADF News 

ADF caps off biggest RIMPAC yet

06/08/2022 Posted by Brian Hartigan 3705 Views 0 Comments RIMPAC

The Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) participation in the world’s largest international maritime exercise has come to an end. CAPTION: US

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HMNZS Aotearoa on her first Antarctic mission. NZDF photo.
New Zealand News 

New Zealand Defence Force’s Antarctic season 2022 wrapped up

04/04/2022 Posted by Brian Hartigan 2518 Views 0 Comments

The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) completed its Antarctica support for the 2021/22 season with a final flight to the

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HMNZS Aotearoa departs Lyttleton Harbour on her way to Antarctica. NZDF photo.
New Zealand News 

Aotearoa sails from tropics to Antarctica

07/02/202207/02/2022 Posted by Brian Hartigan 2222 Views 0 Comments HMNZS Aotearoa

Fresh from her deployment to Tonga where she provided essential aid supplies, refuelling services and water generation, HMNZS Aotearoa has

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Royal New Zealand Navy ships HMNZS Te Kaha and HMNZS Aotearoa conduct a series of trials and readiness checks in the Hauraki Gulf prior to deploying this week. NZDF photo.
New Zealand News 

New Zealand ships to join Royal Navy carrier strike group

09/09/2021 Posted by Brian Hartigan 2600 Views 0 Comments

RNZDF will participate in an exercises in SE Asia and interact with the UK’s Carrier Strike Group on engagement activities in the region.

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A RHIB crew from HMNZS Aotearoa secures the tsunami-detection buoy in preparation for the ship’s crane to lift it aboard. NZDF photo.
New Zealand News Pacific 

Royal NZ Navy rescues lost buoy

27/03/2021 Posted by Brian Hartigan 3136 Views 0 Comments

HMNZS Aotearoa retrieved a Deep Ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunami buoy southeast of Tonga that’d been drifting since December.

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HMAS Hobart ship's company maintains the distance line during a replenishment-at-sea approach with Royal New Zealand Navy tanker HMNZS Aotearoa. Photo by Leading Seaman Ryan Tascas.
New Zealand News Royal Australian Navy 

Tim Tams cap off exercise with NZ ship

05/03/2021 Posted by Mike Hughes 2703 Views 0 Comments

The crew of HMAS Hobart used a replenishment-at-sea exercise to pass gifts to the crew of the Royal New Zealand

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The future HMNZS Aotearoa heading for New Zealand and commissioning into the Royal New Zealand Navy. Photo by RNZAF Orion crew.
New Zealand News Overseas 

RNZ Navy’s Aotearoa heading for home

24/06/2020 Posted by Brian Hartigan 3909 Views 0 Comments HMNZS Aotearoa

Royal New Zealand Navy’s newest and largest-ever ship Aotearoa is currently on her way to New Zealand and will be formally welcomed home on Friday.

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Royal New Zealand Navy's future HMNZS Aotearoa floats free for the first time. RNZDF photo.
New Zealand News Overseas Science & Technology Videos 

Largest RNZN ship launched

26/04/201926/04/2019 Posted by Brian Hartigan 5419 Views 0 Comments

At a launch ceremony this week, the Royal New Zealand Navy’s first purpose-built ship in 10 years, Aotearoa, finally found

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NZDF personnel move cargo containers at McMurdo Station. NZDF photo.
New Zealand News Overseas Rest of World 

NZDF’s busy summer in Antarctica

19/02/2019 Posted by Brian Hartigan 2870 Views 0 Comments

New Zealand Defence Force personnel from all three services have made significant contributions during a busy summer season in Antarctica.

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Former HMNZS Endeavour in India about to be broken up for scrap. NZDF video screenshot.
India New Zealand News Overseas Videos 

Watch HMNZS Endeavour broken up for scrap

14/09/2018 Posted by Brian Hartigan 5760 Views 0 Comments HMNZS Aotearoa, HMNZS Endeavour

The Royal New Zealand Navy’s former HMNZS Endeavour was broken up for scrap in India recently. The New Zealand Defence

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New Zealand Ambassador to South Korea Phillip Turner (front row, fourth from left) joins representatives of the Royal New Zealand Navy, New Zealand Defence Force, Ministry of Defence, Hyundai shipyard and Lloyds of London in celebrating the keel laying of the future HMNZS Aotearoa. Photo supplied by NZDF.
Asia New Zealand News Overseas Science & Technology 

Largest ever RNZ Navy ship official keel-laying

14/08/2018 Posted by Brian Hartigan 3521 Views 1 Comment HMNZS Aotearoa

A keel-laying ceremony for the future HMNZS Aotearoa has been held at the Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in Ulsan, South

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Chief of Navy Rear Admiral John Martin with winning badge designer Chief Petty Officer Steven Knight, his wife Julia and children Jake and Gemma. NZDF photo.
New Zealand News Overseas 

CPO wins comp to design new NZ ship’s badge

05/02/2018 Posted by Brian Hartigan 4169 Views 0 Comments HMNZS Aotearoa

No one was more surprised to be judged the winner of the Royal New Zealand Navy’s badge competition for its

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The top 10 badges for New Zealand's future HMNZS Aotearoa.
New Zealand News Overseas 

Top-10 new badge designs for NZ’s new oiler

12/12/2017 Posted by Brian Hartigan 4084 Views 0 Comments HMNZS Aotearoa

When Chief of Navy Rear Admiral John Martin announced the public competition to design the ship’s badge for HMNZS Aotearoa

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Artist's impression of the yet-to-be-built HMNZS Aotearoa. Supplied by NZDF.
New Zealand News Overseas Science & Technology 

New Zealand’s new mega tanker gets her name

10/04/201710/04/2017 Posted by Brian Hartigan 12764 Views 0 Comments HMNZS Aotearoa

The Royal New Zealand Navy has announced that the name of its newest and biggest ship will be HMNZS Aotearoa.

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