Navy Today May 09 | Issue 143 - Royal New Zealand Navy

YOURS AYE
ISSN 1173-8332
RA Tony Parr MVO
[CHIEF OF NAVY]
| ISSUE 143 | MAY 2009
Published to entertain, inform and inspire
serving members of the RNZN.
Navy Today is the official newsletter for
personnel and friends of the Royal New
Zealand Navy, produced by the Defence
Public Relations Unit, Wellington, Navy
Today is now in its thirteenth year of
publication.
Views expressed in Navy Today are not
necessarily those of the RNZN or the NZDF.
Contributions are welcomed. Submit copy
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Today is acknowledged.
Before I joined the Navy in 1980 I had to sit
through a fairly gruelling interview with a selection
board of several crusty old Naval Officers. One of
the questions was: “So what would you like to
achieve in the Navy?” I responded straight away
with: “I’d like to be the Captain of a frigate.” I got a
frosty response. “Can you really see yourself doing
that?” “Yes” I replied, but I could see immediately
that they didn’t! The road to becoming a frigate
Captain was long, but hugely rewarding. So has
The “people challenge” from an organisational perspective
is fundamentally one of supply and demand. Demand is set
by the combination of established posts in our ships and in
our shore establishments. Supply is a function of our ability to
recruit and train the right numbers of the right people. Sounds
easy but it’s complicated by an unstable attrition rate and the
fact that the majority of our recruits join ab initio – they need
to be trained from the most junior level. Much has been done
to attract the right people – there’s more we can do yet.
We also need to address the “demand” side. We’ve got a
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EDITORIAL ADVISERS:
RA D Ledson, CN
CDR Maxine Lawes
EDITOR:
Richard Jackson
Defence Communications Group
HQ NZ Defence Force
Private Bag, Wellington, New Zealand
P: (04) 496 0293 F: (04) 496 0290
E: richard.jackson@nzdf.mil.nz
LT Felicity Anderson lays a red rose on the Tomb of
the Unknown Warrior at the National War Memorial in
Wellington during the Anzac Day service there. Felicity
is an ADC to the Governor General, who was in Gallipoli
for Anzac Day this year, so Felicity was escorting the
Administrator, Dame Sian Ellias, who formally stands
in if the Governor General is absent overseas.
Photo by CPL Brad Hanson RNZAF OH 09-0252-073
been the current one to become Chief of Navy.
I’m honoured to have the job. At the same time
I’m very conscious of the responsibility that comes with the
role. It certainly won’t be without its challenges and I’m going
to need the support of each and every one of you in the
Navy, both uniform and civilian, as we strive to deliver the
requirements of our mission, year in, year out and as we take
the steps along the way towards achieving our vision – “to
be the best small-nation navy in the world”.
The way forward for us - our navigation track - is clear
enough. There has been significant investment in the Navy
over the past ten years and it’s had superb leadership under
Admiral David Ledson over the past five. Admiral Ledson’s
contribution has been hugely significant in preparing and po-
good idea of how many people it takes to operate our ships,
the skills that they require and the rank mix. But technology
marches on and we need to structure ourselves so that we
can take advantage of smart investments in technology, provide
our people with the right skills and competencies and
keep the work that we do rewarding and satisfying to all.
The third element of the navigation track is the work that
we must do to ensure that we have ships and capability
in the future to meet the requirements of our mission. Our
tanker Endeavour is a strategic asset, giving our fleet the
flexibility to operate far from our shores. But she is ageing,
and by 2013 may not meet International Maritime Organisation
construction standards for tankers, so we must begin
preparing options for future capability. Our diving tender
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sitioning us for the future. Consequently we are in very good
shape to move forward along the track that has been set.
With the commissioning of the Protector ships this year,
Manawanui and hydrographic survey ship Resolution are
also also nearing the end of their operational lives. We need
to investigate what might replace them in the form of a ship
PRINT:
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ENQUIRIES TO:
Defence Communications Group
P: (04) 496 0270 F: (04) 496 0290
LTCDR Barbara Fleissner (Auckland)
P: (09) 445 5002 F: (09) 445 5014
Director Defence Communications Group
P: (04) 496 0299 F: (04) 496 0290
Recruiting Officer Auckland:
P: (09) 445 5783
E: navyjobs@ihug.co.nz
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To join or leave our mailing list,
please contact:
Marianna Robati
DCG Administration Officer
HQNZDF 2-12 Aitken St
Wellington
P: (04) 496 0270
E: marianna.robati@nzdf.mil.nz
06 ROTOITI Delivered! 10 CHINA'S NAVAL REVIEW 20 VARIETY BASH
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
04 Changes for NZDF
Leadership
06 HMNZS ROTOITI
Delivered
08 Commemmorating the
ANZACS
10 China's Naval Review
12 The Jinhae International
Festival South Korea
14 Sudan, East Timor &
Afghanistan
18 Kawe Mate for Dame Te
Atairangikahu ONZ, DBE
20 Variety Club Bash and
Family Day
23 Project Cassandra
24 Our People
26 HMNZS TE MANA
29 HMNZS RESOLUTION
30 HMNZS MANAWANUI
31 HMNZS KAHU
33 SH-2G Seasprite
35 Around the Fleet
36 Defence Technology
38 The Army Simulation
Centre
40 Life as "Flags"
42 Sport
45 Main Notice Board
46 LATEST: Delivering
ROTOITI
we are now close to achieving the goal of being a Versatile
Navy with the capacity to address the spectrum of maritime
operations from combat, to multi-agency operations, through
to defence diplomacy tasks. But while we are close to achieving
success, we are not there yet. The big challenge ahead
is to prove and sustain our capability to maintain a higher
tempo of operations over the long term.
The introduction into service of the Protector ships remains
a major focus for 2009 and throughout 2010. We need to
continue building the capability of Canterbury. And while
doing this we must maintain the sharp edge of our combat
force Te Mana and Te Kaha as well as our Littoral Warfare
Support capabilities – diving, mine countermeasures and
hydrography.
But as someone once famously said: “Ships are all right – it’s
the people in them that matter.” He tangata, he tangata, he
tangata – it is people, it is people, it is people. Ships aren’t
ships without people. To have every position manned by
the right person by 2014 remains our number one strategic
goal. Having the right numbers of the right people has been
a constant challenge for us over the years – it remains so
to deploy diving, mine countermeasures and inshore hydrographic
capability. Last but not least we need to address
some components of the frigates’ mission systems which,
after some ten years in service will require replacement in
the not-too-distant future.
So we’ve had a change of watch. The passage during the
last watch has covered a lot of ground, weathered a few
storms and made a few course alterations to avoid those
inevitable rocks and obstacles on the way. As a result we
are in very good shape to proceed on the track that is set
before us. There is no need for a bold course alteration. But
as there are undoubtedly more rocks and obstacles before
us, we also need to be conscious of the winds, tides and
currents and here I will make mention (and no more than
that) of the Defence Transformation Programme, the Defence
Review 2009 and of an era of financial constraint and
restraint, all now upon us. Some of these winds, tides and
currents will speed us up, some may slow us down and yet
others may require us to make some course alterations to
keep on track.
Come what may, there is a navigation track to be the best
today and it will be a challenge that we will continue to ad-
small-nation navy in the world. We are on it together and my
dress aggressively on my watch.
job will be to keep us on it.
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