HMNZS TE KAHA returns

TE KAHA ARRIVES HOME

Ceremonial cannon fire signalled the arrival of frigate HMNZS TE KAHA in Devonport on 20 December, finally home after nearly three years away in Canada undergoing her Frigate Systems Upgrade.

Nearly 800 family and friends lined Calliope Wharf, ready to greet 140 sailors and officers home. A small number of crew had been overseas since September 2019, as part of a caretaker team, followed by the rest of the Ship’s Company in June 2020. On a perfect Auckland morning, the ship showcased her ‘look’, the new fore and aft masts the most visible change in her combat systems modernisation, with a wealth of the latest technology under the hood. Commander Brock Symmons, Commanding Officer of TE KAHA, says the project had been challenging but they were very happy with what they had got. “We’ve moved from a 1990’s, early 2000’s model, through to an iPhone 10.”

The 18-day journey included a noncontact logistics stop in Honolulu, with Ship’s Company unable to disembark. But it meant the passage counted as a designated quarantine period, meaning the crew could immediately greet their loved ones.

During the trip home TE KAHA trained with the USS MICHAEL MURPHY, an Arleigh Burke destroyer in the US 3rd Fleet. The pair conducted bilateral ship manoeuvres and communication drills.

TE KAHA may resume a traditional programme of South East Asia visits this year, with the ship and HMNZS AOTEAROA earmarked to attend Exercise Bersama Lima, the Five Power Defence Arrangements joint exercise, in Malaysia in October. HMNZS TE MANA, undergoing the same Frigate Systems Upgrade in Canada, is approximately a year behind TE KAHA in her programme.