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New Zealand Defence Force

Te Ope Kaatua O Aotearoa

Media Advisory

Thursday 2 March, 2006

Navy ship successfully worked-up

After 36 hours of warfare operations, live firings, boarding operations, 'minefield' transits, fighting fires, floods and other internal disasters, the crew onboard Royal New Zealand Navy frigate HMNZS TE KAHA are exhausted but relieved.

Working together, the 177 men and women onboard TE KAHA achieved a Standard Achieved grade in an arduous Unit Readiness Evaluation (URE), completed early this afternoon off the east coast of Australia. This grading indicates a high level of proficiency and professionalism from those onboard.

URE is designed to test the officers and ratings onboard in a wide ranging variety of scenarios. This is the culmination of a month's intensive training, honing skills and increasing knowledge of all the people onboard from the youngest sailor to the Captain.

TE KAHA has participated in operational exercises TASMANEX and Ex Ocean Protector in the last month of training, working alongside sister ship HMNZS TE MANA, two Royal New Zealand Air Force P3-K aircraft, up to 11 Australian ships, one submarine and multiple aircraft of the Australian Defence Force.

Senior officers, Commander Joint Forces New Zealand, Major General Lou Gardiner, and the Maritime Component Commander, Commodore David Anson were embarked in TE KAHA to observe the action during the evaluation period.

TE KAHA will enjoy a weekend port visit to Sydney before returning to New Zealand on 10 March.

ENDS

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