HMNZS Te Kaha Successful in Live Firing Seasparrow Missile at RIMPAC 2012

TE KAHA firing its 5" and a Seasparrow as RIMPAC ends Week 1

The first week of RIMPAC is nearing an end, the pace has been building up and the activities rewarding. Whilst we have worked with most of the nations here before individually, to interact with so many ships from all around the Pacific simultaneously has been a terrific experience for TE KAHA's Ship's Company.

In our Taskgroup alone we have two US ships, a Japanese ship, a South Korean ship, a Chilean ship and ourselves.

We have conducted two five-inch gunnery firings, a frequent event for the ship but what is out of the ordinary for us is that we are conducting gunnery in a line with up to 21 Warships firing! The same applies for all activities; replenishment is a well practised evolution on TE KAHA, especially with ENDEAVOUR, however yesterday we conducted replenishment with USNS YUKON, almost four times the size of our own tanker. 

It is a routine we are quickly adapting to, TE KAHA has smoothly become part of the whole and as we look ahead to the remaining two weeks, the entire ship is ready to fight and win at RIMPAC 2012.

On Saturday, TE KAHA fired a Nato Seasparrow Missile in a live practice firing, achieving the successful destruction of a towed air ‘enemy’ target.

RIMPAC is the world’s largest international maritime exercise, involving 22 countries, 25,000 personnel, 42 ships, six submarines and over 200 aircraft spanning all maritime-based warfare disciplines.

NZDF units taking part are HMNZS TE KAHA, HMNZS ENDEAVOUR, the Navy’s Operational Diving Team and Mine Counter Measures Team, a Rifle Platoon from 1 Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment, a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K Orion and a number of headquarters staff.

RIMPAC’s sea-phase continues in the waters off the Hawaiian Islands until 3 August.

Asian Defence News