Royal New Zealand Navy frigate sails to disrupt terrorist, criminal, activities in Middle East

Te Kaha, its 179 crew and embarked Seasprite helicopter will be deployed for six months supporting Combined Task Force 150 (CTF150) maritime actions outside the Arabian Gulf, and conducting other operations involving military partners.

CTF150 is a multinational task force that conducts maritime security operations in the region and is dedicated to preventing the illegal transfer of people, narcotics and weaponry. The profits from these shipments are a known source of funding for criminal and terrorist networks.

This year, CTF150 is under the command of Commodore Rodger Ward of the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN). This is the second time New Zealand has taken command of the CTF150 coalition staff, and he and his team of more than 20 personnel from six countries will control operations from CTF Headquarters in Bahrain. Their role is to apply intelligence on suspect vessels to vector CTF150 ships to intercept and board.

The area of operations is immense. It spans more than five million square kilometres across the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. To ensure maximum coverage, ships from partner navies will patrol alongside HMNZS Te Kaha.

This is also the second time an RNZN frigate has been tasked to assist with CTF150. For HMNZS Te Kaha's Commanding Officer, Commander Fiona Jameson, this is a mission the ship's company has been preparing hard for since mid-last year. 

"What we are being tasked to support is the maintenance of security in this region that also has the flow-on effect of protecting New Zealand’s interests as well," she said.

"The Middle East includes some of the world’s busiest maritime trade routes and chokepoints. Increasingly, traffickers are using these routes to ship illicit goods to New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Disrupting these shipments, and the money they generate, is what we've been training for."

The last time New Zealand contributed a ship to CF150 was in 2015 when Te Kaha operated under a French-led CTF150. At that time, Te Kaha intercepted, confiscated and destroyed 257kg of high purity heroin with a street value of $US164 million.

Already the New Zealand-led task force has made an impact, with its first drug bust of the year. Last week a boarding team from the United States Coast Guard Cutter Emlen Tunnell, in direct support of CTF150, conducted a search of a suspicious dhow and discovered 2,357kg of hashish on board.

Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Garin Golding said: “The tasking of HMNZS Te Kaha this year, along with an RNZN Mine Counter Measures Task Unit, is a continued example of New Zealand's commitment to playing its part on the world stage amongst international maritime partners.

“We are proud to have Te Kaha's white ensign flying in this contested theatre of operations as it demonstrates New Zealand’s clear intent to contribute to collective maritime security efforts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and protecting the international rules based system," Rear Admiral Golding said.