|
Post by vgp on May 5, 2008 19:01:52 GMT 12
Amphibious Exercise to depart Canterbury Media Advisory 2 May 2008 Royal Australian Navy (RAN) ship HMAS MANOORA will be in Cantabrian waters from 8 May as she gears up to provide assistance to a combined military exercise with the New Zealand Defence Force. The RAN ship is an amphibious sealift vessel - meaning it can offload vehicles, troops and supplies to shore using landing craft without berthing at a port. It is berthing at Lyttelton Port from the 9th of May before departing to participate in a training exercise with the New Zealand Defence Force. HMAS MANOORA is the sole naval asset in the Exercise named “Joint Kiwi” which will see NZ Army Light Armoured Vehicles (LAV) transported and offloaded by the amphibious sealift capacity in Hawke’s Bay. The LAV’s are from Queen Alexandra Mounted Rifles Group based at Burnham Army Camp in Christchurch. QAMR are participating in land-based manoeuvres in Canterbury where they will then be transported by MANOORA to the Hawke’s Bay to continue their activities. Exercise Joint Kiwi runs from 15 May to 17 May off the coast of Napier before returning to Lyttelton to offload QAMR assets. ENDS Note: HMAS MANOORA will not be open to the public during this exercise. Media who wish to view or photograph the loading of personnel or equipment onto HMAS MANOORA on 11 May should contact Nicole Munro-Johnson by 10am, 9 May 2008. For more information about Exercise Joint Kiwi please contact Nicole Munro-Johnson, Defence Public Relations at 04 529 6033 or 021 569 148 or Bas Bolyn, Defence Public Relations at 04 496 0285 or 021 478 574. For more information about QAMR activities please contact Jane Mortlock, Army Public Relations on 021 224 8658 or 027 444 4883. www.nzdf.mil.nz/news/media-releases/20080504-aetdc.htm
|
|
|
Post by beagle on May 5, 2008 22:01:18 GMT 12
so what was the Canterbury brought for then. Is she on southern patrol down in the ice.
|
|
rocco
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 71
|
Post by rocco on May 6, 2008 8:46:05 GMT 12
No, she's tied up in Devonport doing a pre-deployment maintenance period right now. I think she is scheduled to be on another amphib exercise off northern Australia when Joint Kiwi is on.
|
|
|
Post by FlyNavy on May 6, 2008 10:21:59 GMT 12
Same problem if not enough aircraft. When items in maintenance - then wot? ;D Ships take a lot of maintaining due to their corrosive environment. Salt water is not kind to steel.
|
|
seatoby
Leading Aircraftman
Posts: 6
|
Post by seatoby on May 12, 2008 17:17:44 GMT 12
She has been busy doing amphibious exercises recently, during February Exercise Sea Lion, in March with the French in New Caledonia Croix de Sud, and in May in New Zealand. These exercises are annual. I would suspect the Canterbury will be repeating these exercises every year with the Australians and the French.
The Canterbury was bought to do Southern Ocean EEZ patrols too, up to 100 days of EEZ patrols per year. But after her RHIBs location design flaw was recognized, she won't be doing patrols until the RHIBs alcoves location are corrected, with most likely a water tight door being added to her alcoves. She she is going to be used every year, her down time will be short. Therefore, her maintenance periods will be throughout the year during her short down times. I would feel a lot better if New Zealand acquired a second sea lift ship to not strain her. There is talk of a JSS type ship replacing the Endeavour. Please read that thread.
Since she is new, and her amphibious capabilities are new to the defence force, she is showing her true worth as a sea lift ship. These skills are being learned and tested during these exercises. Her value as a patrol ship won't be trully realized until the OPVs are comissioned and doing their patrols too.
It appears the amphibious exercises occur during the southern hemisphere's summer months, I believe the intentions were to use her as a patrol ship during the winter months. At any time during the year she will could be used for any humanitarian relief operations with either patrols and/or exercises cancelled.
The OPVs were bought to do about 150 days of patrol each, with the MRV doing at most 100 days of patrols. Please read the NZ maritime review. I think her progress has been self evident. Once she was accepted, her crew first had to bring her up to be fully qualified, then she ran an exercise with the New Zealand army, then she ran helicopter tests, and now she been doing amphibious exercises. Her patrol days will come.
|
|
|
Post by vgp on May 13, 2008 12:39:10 GMT 12
Joint Kiwi and Aussie Exercise hits NZ9 May 2008 New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel will be leading the way in a joint operational exercise with the Australian Defence Force off the Hawke’s Bay next week. As a continuation of NZDF development in amphibious sealift capability, members of HMNZS CANTERBURY’s crew, NZDF personnel and NZ Army Light Armoured Vehicles (LAV) will be onboard Royal Australian Navy ship HMAS MANOORA to participate in Exercise Joint Kiwi. As part of Joint Kiwi, LAVs, troops, vehicles and supplies will be offloaded onto the beach at Perfume Point off Napier using HMAS MANOORA’s Landing Craft (LCM8’s). Flying activities using the RAN Ship’s SeaKing helicopter will also occur concurrently as part of the exercise. Working with the Australian Defence Force enables the NZDF to develop and enhance their skills in the on-load and off-load of personnel, vehicles, material and supplies without requiring a formal port facility. Commander of the Amphibious Task Force for Exercise Joint Kiwi Commander Tony Millar, Royal New Zealand Navy, said: “The New Zealand Defence Force has substantially increased its ability to participate in total land-sea-air operations, and Exercise Joint Kiwi provides another step forward in the development of our amphibious sealift capability. “While this is a training exercise, I have no doubt that working with HMAS MANOORA and gaining understanding of how she operates with NZDF assets such as LAV will prove invaluable in the future when we may be required to operate together in a real life event," Commander Millar said. "Exercise Joint Kiwi enables our personnel to be well-trained for the specific operations that we currently encounter and will continue to face in the future." The amphibious sealift capacity is particularly important considering the scope of NZDF operations in the Pacific over the last fifteen years. The NZDF has served in places such as Timor-Leste; Tonga; the Solomon Islands and Bougainville, as well as provided humanitarian assistance and disaster recovery support in the wider-Pacific such as with the Boxing Day Tsunami. Exercise Joint Kiwi runs from 15 May to 17 May off the coast of Napier before returning to Lyttelton to offload NZ Army assets. ENDS Notes to Media: Any media interested in covering Exercise Joint Kiwi activities in Hawke’s Bay are asked to register with Nicole Munro-Johnson, Defence Public Relations at 04 529 6033 or 021 569 148 due to safety and security considerations. Nb: HMAS MANOORA will not be open to the public during the exercise. www.nzdf.mil.nz/news/media-releases/20080509-jkaaehnz.htm
|
|
|
Post by vgp on May 15, 2008 18:02:53 GMT 12
|
|
seatoby
Leading Aircraftman
Posts: 6
|
Post by seatoby on May 16, 2008 22:01:54 GMT 12
Well, I would expect the Canterbury wouldn't be doing patrols when amphibious exercises are scheduled. And since these are annual exercises, or will be, I would expect her to be doing her up to 100 days of patrols when she isn't doing amphibious exercises. Makes a lot of sense, as Mr. Spock would say, logical. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this out.
I wanted to add, I have seen pictures released of the Canterbury doing helicopter operations with her SeaSprites, Blackhawks, Alouettes, Pumas, and I am sure the Hueys have since her acceptance. And while I have not seen pictures of the Hueys or the Aussie's Chinhooks yet, I wouldn't doubt their participation with her.
And this You Tube video defines her worth.
|
|