After almost seven months at sea conducting operations and exercises across the Middle East and Indo-Pacific, Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) frigate HMNZS Te Kaha returned home today to an enthusiastic welcome by hundreds of the crew’s friends and whānau.

Because Te Kaha has been away for more than six months, the ship and crew are entitled to a Ceremonial Homecoming.

The welcome included ceremonial gun salutes, stirring performances from the RNZN Band, haka from shipmates ashore and emotional reunions between sailors and loved ones.

Minister of Defence, Hon Judith Collins, KC, Chief of Defence Force Air Marshal Tony Davies, Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Garin Golding, senior New Zealand Defence Force leadership, along with more than 800 friends and family were on hand to greet Te Kaha when the ship sailed into the Devonport Naval Base.

“Throughout its time away, Te Kaha and its crew have represented and advanced New Zealand’s interests to an exceptional standard,” Rear Admiral Golding said.

“This deployment underscores the vital contribution the Navy makes when operating with allies and international partners, and I am proud of what the ship and crew have achieved on the world stage.”

The ship’s work over the past seven months reinforced the importance of a capable, agile Navy in consolidating New Zealand’s security and prosperity, he said.

Te Kaha’s deployment saw the ship operate at the forefront of international maritime security efforts. Some of the highlights included:

• Monitoring a Chinese maritime task group that sailed through the Tasman Sea in February
• Hosting a significant New Zealand Government trade and diplomatic delegation during a port visit in Mumbai, India
• Conducting drug interdiction patrols in the Middle East designed to disrupt the operations of transnational criminal and terrorist networks. The ship supported the New Zealand-led Combined Maritime Task Force in the seizure of $NZ1.8 billion in narcotics
• Integration with a UK Carrier Strike Group on Operation Highmast, demonstrating New Zealand’s commitment to working alongside close partners in complex multi-national maritime environments in the Indo-Pacific
• Participating in Talisman Sabre, the world’s largest multi-domain military exercise, contributing to regional stability and security alongside a broad coalition of allies.

Supporting the international rules-based order and safeguarding the global sea lanes through which New Zealand conducts 99% of its trade, are critical roles for the RNZN.

Commanding Officer of HMNZS Te Kaha, Commander Fiona Jameson, said the deployment was both operationally demanding and personally rewarding for the crew.

“We’ve operated across thousands of nautical miles, in multiple theatres, and alongside some of the most capable naval forces in the world. Our sailors have delivered every mission asked of them, and I couldn’t be prouder.”

HMNZS Te Kaha was deployed for 193 days, sailed more than 36,000 nautical miles, visited six countries and conducted a number of high-profile maritime missions.

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