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ASS – Aotearoa

Monitoring and surveillance activities by New Zealand against illicit maritime activities including ship-to-ship transfers

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Royal New Zealand Navy sustainment vessel HMNZS AOTEAROA(Source: New Zealand Ministry of Defence)

  1. From mid-August to mid-September, Royal New Zealand Navy sustainment vessel HMNZS AOTEAROA conducted monitoring and surveillance activities against illicit maritime activities, including ship-to-ship transfers with North Korean-flagged vessels prohibited by the United Nations Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs), in waters surrounding Japan. It was the first time Royal New Zealand Navy ships to engaged in these activities.
  2. Japan welcomes these activities from the viewpoint of ensuring effective implementation of the relevant UNSCRs in solidarity with the international community toward the realization of North Korea’s dismantlement of all weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles of all ranges in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner.
  3. As Japan has also been conducting information gathering activities for vessels suspected of violating the UNSCRs, Japan works closely with relevant countries and international organizations, including New Zealand.

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JS SENDAI conducted a Japan-New Zealand bilateral exercise.

JS SENDAI conducted a Japan-New Zealand bilateral exercise with Royal New Zealand Navy HMNZS AOTEAROA in the East China Sea.
New Zealand is Japan’s important partner to maintain and strengthen the international order based on the rule of law, and we are working together through various opportunities, such as monitoring and surveillance activities against illicit maritime activities including ship-to-ship transfers with North Korean vessels.
The Commanding officer of JS SENDAI, CDR YODA Masahiko said, “Through the exercise, we improved our tactical capabilities and strengthened cooperation with the Royal New Zealand Navy. We also contributed to maintaining the rules-based international order by demonstrating our opposition to attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force in the waters surrounding our country in order to realize a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.”
The Self Defense Fleet maintains readiness and contributes to the peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific region, not only for the defense of Japan but also for the realization of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” in cooperation with allied and like-minded navies.

Royal New Zealand Navy ship conducts longest replenishment at sea

HMNZS Aotearoa successfully replenished its largest ship (USS Boxer) since commissioning four years ago. The replenishment at sea took 8.5 hours, making this the ship’s longest replenishment.

02 August, 2024

Providing fuel for both the ship and aircraft on board, a total of 3,350,000 litres of fuel was transferred to USS Boxer, a US Navy Amphibious Assault Ship on an operational deployment. The replenishment took place south of the Hawaiian island of Oahu.  

Commanding Officer of HMNZS Aotearoa, Commander Rob Welford said the replenishment at sea took 8.5 hours, making this the ship’s longest replenishment.

“This was no simple task, but our crew carried this out with the care and attention needed over a sustained period of time.

“This is what our crew trains for, and is a testament of the interoperability the Royal New Zealand Navy conducts with partners as we continue to work together,” Rob Welford said. 

HMNZS Aotearoa is currently on Operation Crucible, a reoccurring Navy deployment to carry out international military exercises, operations and engagements.