Friday, 27 May, 2011

After a four month overseas deployment, warship HMNZS TE KAHA will arrive home at the Devonport Naval Base on Monday 30 May 2011 to awaiting friends and family.

This deployment has seen TE KAHA and her sister ship TE MANA take part in Exercise TRITON STORM in Australia off the West Coast of Australia, port visits to Singapore and participation in Exercise BERSAMA SHIELD in the South China Sea that tested the Navy’s military capability and strengthened regional security and diplomatic links.

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“This deployment has been invaluable to the training and experience of TE KAHA’s crew. We have worked hard and proven ourselves as a combat force that contributes to a stable international environment in the Pacific and wider region” said Commander Jon Beadsmoore, the Commanding Officer of TE KAHA.

“Exercise BERSAMA SHIELD tested the crews capabilities under intense and challenging conditions. We were coming under simulated attack from ships and aircraft which gave us the opportunity to test our combat systems and people in realistic circumstances and we held our own.”

The multi-national Exercise BERSAMA SHIELD involves a variety of air and land-based support elements from New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the United Kingdom as part of the Five Power Defence Arrangements.

Upon her return, TE KAHA will enter a scheduled maintenance period while TE MANA continues on Defence diplomacy tasking in South East Asia until late June 2011.

ENDS

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