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John Currin

Royal New Zealand Navy to honour history at Waitangi Day celebrations

The Chief of Navy says he is honoured to be attending Waitangi Day celebrations and continuing the Royal New Zealand Navy’s long history of playing an important role in celebrating the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Every year on 6 February, New Zealanders and visitors alike gather at Waitangi. The RNZN is invited annually by Te Tai Tokerau to attend Waitangi Day and perform a range of full ceremonial duties.

Representing the RNZN will be Chief of Navy Rear Admiral (RADM) Garin Golding along with a large contingent of Navy personnel.

“I have been to Waitangi many times, but my first as Chief of Navy will certainly have special significance,” said RADM Golding.

“The invitation by Te Tai Tokerau has always been a great honour for our Navy and an absolute privilege to be part of.”

“This day is a taonga for our nation and we’re grateful we can share it with the people of this region, other New Zealanders and visitors to our shores.”

RADM Golding will be joined this year by Chief of Army, Major General Rose King, and Chief of Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Darryn Webb.

This year the RNZN’s multi-role sealift vessel HMNZS Canterbury, will be anchored off Waitangi between 4-6 February.

Other RNZN involvement in the celebrations will include the Navy band performing at the Village Green in Paihia on Tuesday the 4th with a Beat Retreat and Ceremonial Sunset Ceremony at the Treaty Ground flagpole on Wednesday evening, 5 February.

A 50-person Guard of Honour will conduct the ceremonial lowering of the New Zealand White Ensign, signifying the end of the day.  This will be reviewed by the Chief of Navy.

At midday on Waitangi Day, Tuesday 6 February, HMNZS Canterbury will fire a 21-gun salute to observe the 185th Anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. The RNZN Māori Cultural Group will also give a series of performances on the Treaty Grounds.

RNZN WAITANGI DAY PROGRAMME IN THE BAY OF ISLANDS

Tuesday, 4 February

2-3pm:                        Navy Band Concert at the Village Green in Paihia

4pm-4.45pm:              Navy Band Concert on the Te Tii Marae grounds

Wednesday, 5 February

8.30am-9am:              Navy Band perform at Te Whare Rununga (Upper Marae)
5pm-5.45pm:              Beat Retreat and Ceremonial Sunset Ceremony, with Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral Garin Golding as Reviewing Officer

Thursday, 6 February

5am:                            Dawn Service at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds

8.30am-9am:              RNZN Band perform at Te Whare Rununga (upper marae)

9am-10am:                 Church Service

11.30am-11.50am:     RNZN Māori Cultural Group perform on the Treaty Grounds

11.50am – 12.15pm:   RNZN Guard of Honour march on and form at the Flag Pole – 21-Gun Salute fired from HMNZS Canterbury

12.15pm-12.55pm:     RNZN Band concert alongside the Treaty Ground Flagpole

5pm-5.30pm:              Closing ceremony – Ceremonial Sunset Ceremony, with the Chief of Navy as Reviewing Officer.

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U.S. Navy ships moored at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, in July 2024.

U.S. Navy (John Bellino)

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HMS Sutherland – last Royal Navy Type 23 frigate to undergo life extension refit goes back to sea

HMS Sutherland – last Royal Navy Type 23 frigate to undergo life extension refit goes back to sea

Following LIFEX and engine upgrade refit period lasting 49 months, HMS Sutherland sailed from Devonport this afternoon.

More than 4 years after being handed over to Babcock, ‘the fighting Clan’, HMS Sutherland left the wall to begin sea trials. Her refit was the second most time-consuming of the class, only HMS St Alban’s pandemic-hit refit took longer.

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Each frigate undergoing life extension (LIFEX) refit has a hull survey and repairs, the Sea Wolf missile system was replaced with Sea Ceptor and a wide range of other upgrades and refurbishments. Other important additions are the foundations and cabling needed to take the Naval Strike Missile system (canisters to be embarked at a later date) and the news S2150 bow-mounted sonar.

While delivering an important capability boost, the work has mostly taken longer than expected, each vessel is has effectively been a unique project. As each ship was stripped down and surveyed, different levels of hull corrosion, structural problems and equipment deterioration were revealed. Work on the ship that was launched in 1996 included more than 800 steel hull inserts and 11,500 weld repairs – a total of 5km of welding.

The Power Generation Machinery Upgrade (PGMU) propulsion improvement project involves fitting new equipment within the existing structural and compartment constraints and integrate with the ship’s legacy services and systems. Around 8 km of new cable and 600m of new pipework has to be installed. The new diesel-generator sets have to be placed into the Forward Auxiliary Machinery Room (FAMR) below decks. The Upper Auxiliary Machinery Room (UAMR) is on the main deck level and is more easily accessible via deckhead soft patches but was also completely stripped and much equipment re-sited.

Between 2017-202, HMS Sutherland was the hardest working of the RN’s surface escorts and was the last ship in the fleet to carry the Sea Wolf missile system. Newly refurbished, Sutherland can expect to work just as hard in an even more threadbare fleet and serve well into the 2030s until replaced by by a Type 26 frigate.

With the LIFEX programme now completed, Babcock is now tasked with keeping the surviving Type 23s frigates going into the 2030s. HMS Kent is currently in the Frigate Support Centre undergoing an extensive post-LIFEX upkeep period.

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Defence industry celebrates first Arafura accepted by Defence

The first Arafura class Offshore Patrol Vessel, NUSHIP Arafura, conducting Sea Trials in August 2024 at the Osborne Naval Shipyard. Photo: Luerssen Australia.

Defence companies have celebrated the successful acceptance of first Arafura Class Offshore Patrol Vessel by Defence.

Defence company Nova Systems supports the NUSHIP Arafura ahead of delivery to the Royal Australian Navy.

Nova Systems’ maritime team has been involved in the SEA 1180 project for more than seven years supporting Naval Shipbuilding and Sustainment Group.

The OPVs make up part of a wider Navy Minor War Vessel Fleet providing essential capabilities for the Australian Navy and replacing the Armidale Class and Cape Class Patrol Boats.

Nova Systems has played a pivotal role throughout the construction of the new contemporary fleet of OPVs, offering extensive expertise in naval architecture, Test and Evaluation, engineering management, logistics, seaworthiness and acceptance activities.

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Royal Navy pips New Zealand in Bay of Islands regatta

03 February, 2025

The Tri-Nations Sailing Challenge between Australia, New Zealand and United Kingdom navy teams involves crews of 10 battle for bragging rights among their peers, while chasing regatta prizes.

This year, the Royal Australian Navy was unable to field a crew, leaving the Britons and New Zealanders to duel it out in last month’s event.

In a best-of-three event, Royal Navy enjoyed an emphatic win in the first race, and only just managed to pip the Kiwis to the line in the closing moments of races two and three.

The teams used the Royal New Zealand Navy’s Chico-40 yachts, maintained by the Navy’s Experiential Learning Squadron (ELS) for training purposes. The competition has previously run in New Zealand in 2008 and 2016, with the Royal Navy now three from three.

Aboard yacht Manga II, the New Zealand crew with skipper Hamish Ivey looked ready to seal the deal with home advantage, experience and familiarity with their own vessels.

But Commander Stephen Walton RN, skipper and tactician on Mako II, emphatically kept the Kiwis out of reach after the first race over 35 nautical miles, crossing the line 0.9nm miles ahead of New Zealand.

In the second race, the Kiwis were first across the start line and maintained a lead until the Brits, taking a gamble with a large spinnaker in marginal conditions, overtook with 200 metres to go.

The Tri-Nations Sailing Challenge between Australia, New Zealand and United Kingdom navy teams involves crews of 10 battle for bragging rights.

“That’s yachting for you,” says Chief Petty Officer Malcolm Badham, Tri-Nations event coordinator and ELS coxswain. “These guys have so much experience.”

He says they wanted the Royal Navy team to have a great time in New Zealand, including being welcomed onto the Navy marae. They were taken out sailing on the Hauraki Gulf to get them used to handling the Chico-40 yachts.

Commander Walton says he brought a very strong team to New Zealand for the event.

“There were about 25 applicants to come to this. We take it really seriously, and I couldn’t go back to the UK and hold my head up high if the Kiwis put one over us. It’s a huge distance to come and compete at that level.”

He says they had to work very hard to get around the Kiwi boat in races 2 and 3.

“These Chico 40s are really good boats. They challenge people, and they’re hard work. Racing on them, everything is about leadership, team work, resilience and taking minor tactical opportunities. We got two really lucky breaks.”

That included making the “margin call” of hoisting a large spinnaker in 16-18 knots winds.

“You’ve got to make these calls, and I was confident we could hold it.”

The Royal Navy team also took trophies in the overall Bay of Islands Regatta competition, coming second in their division in both line honours and on handicap. Their helm, Lieutenant Emma Barry, was named best female helm in the Island Division.

They have made the most of their time in New Zealand, with both crews visiting Great Barrier Island on their return to Auckland. Some members have met the Great Britain Sail CP team, others have gone white-water rafting, and there was a possibility of a visit to Hobbiton.

While Commander Walton would come to New Zealand any time for a competition, he would like to see the invitation returned and the Royal Navy hosting a Royal New Zealand Navy team in the United Kingdom.

“I can’t tell you enough how well looked after we have been. The Kiwis have gone out of their way to make us feel welcome and put us in the right place to perform well. After the final race of the series, they played ‘Rule Britannia’ on their speakers when they came alongside – that itself was almost worth the journey.”

Source: currinsnavalandmaritme

Battle Stations Naval Warfare

Battle Stations Naval Warfare

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USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) comes alongside the Military Sealift Command Oiler USNS John Lenthall (T-AO 189) for an underway replenishment (UNREP)

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PACIFIC OCEAN (Feb. 19, 2021) The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54) conducts a replenishment-at-sea with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Towada-class replenishment ship JS Hamana (AOE 424) and French Floreal-class light frigate FNS Prairial (F731). (Photo courtesy of Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force)

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USS Mississippi anchored off New York City circa 1918

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UK’s seventh Astute-class submarine to be named HMS Achilles – January 27, 2025, by Fatima Bahtić

UK’s seventh Astute-class submarine to be named HMS Achilles – January 27, 2025, by Fatima Bahtić

In May 2018, it was announced that the Ministry of Defense had signed a £1.5 billion contract with BAE Systems for the construction of the seventh Astute-class hunter-killer submarine at Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria.

Initially set to be named HMS Agincourt, the submarine has now been designated HMS Achilles following approval by the King of the UK, Charles III. According to the navy, this new name honors a rich history, as HMS Achilles will be the sixth vessel in the navy’s history to carry the name, which is closely linked to significant battles such as the River Plate and Okinawa.

This change in name comes at a time of particular historical resonance, “with the 80th anniversaries of VE and VJ Day this year”, the navy noted.

In October last year, the sixth vessel in this class, HMS Agamemnon, was formally launched at BAE Systems’ facility in Barrow.

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At 97 meters long and weighing 7,400 tonnes, the Astute-class submarines are said to be the first nuclear-powered submarines to be designed entirely in a three-dimensional, computer-aided environment.

They can manufacture their own oxygen and fresh water from the ocean and are said to be able to circumnavigate the globe without surfacing. The submarines carry both Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles (TLAM) and Spearfish heavyweight torpedoes.

Five Astute-class submarines, Anson, Astute, Ambush, Artful, and Audacious, are already in service, while work is also well underway in Barrow on the seventh unit.

Source: currinsnavalandmaritme