The Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) is in crisis. Three of its ships are tied up alongside for lack of crews and the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) is has serious personnel retention issues. As a small navy the RNZN finding it increasingly difficult to sustain large numbers of different types of ship.
The RNZN currently operates two Anzac-class frigates HMNZS Te Kaha and HMNZS Te Mana, two Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) HMNZS Otago and HMNZS Wellington, two Lake-class Inshore Patrol Vessels (IPVs) HMNZS Hawea and HMNZS Taupo, the multirole sealift ship HMNZS Canterbury, the replenishment tanker HMNZS Aotearoa and the diving and hydrographic vessel (DHV) HMNZS Manawanui.
This means the RNZN has a fleet of nine ships spread across six different classes. Whilst this offers the NZDF an impressively wide range of capabilities unmatched by many other countries with smaller sized navies, this does not lend itself to efficiencies either in terms of support or personnel.
Terence Johanson, a Lecturer at Massey University’s Centre for Defence and Security Studies told APDR: “Perhaps the biggest issue for the RNZN is its personnel.”
This is an excerpt from APDR. To read the full story click here.
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The author doesn’t understand the roles of the Ministry Of Defence (MOD) and NZDF. They are separate government departments with the MOD supply policy advice to the government and undertaking defence capability procurement. It is not involved in NZDF personnel making or funding activities.
If New Zealand is anything like Australia, it’s always an interactive process.
The NZ Navy needs to become one with the Australian Navy
You can’t amalgamate two Sovereign nations navies but you can improve the inter- operability
between the two as we did, 25 odd years ago,with our skyhawks and the RAAF