Maritime Component Commander, Commodore Shane Arndell
The Maritime Component Commander is responsible to the Chief of Navy for the command and readiness of the Fleet and the specialist teams that deliver on the Navy’s mission, outputs and outcomes, and responsible to the Commander Joint Forces New Zealand for the command and conduct of maritime operations and provision of the naval contribution to Defence Force outputs.
Commodore Arndell was born in Tauranga, New Zealand, in 1971, educated at Mount Maunganui College, and joined the Royal New Zealand Navy in 1990.
After initial training as a sailor in the Writer (Administration) Branch, Shane was selected as a Midshipman on the General List (Executive) and was commissioned in January 1991. He was awarded the Minister of Defence Sword of Honour as the top graduate of the Junior Officer Common Training Class of 1991.
Commodore Arndell’s professional development postings throughout his career have included service at sea, progressively advancing through warfare assignments until appointment as Executive Officer, and Second-in-Command, of HMNZ Ships Te Mana in August 2004 and Canterbury in 2008.
He has completed service at sea in HMNZS Te Kaha during the Timor Independence Crisis and enforcing United Nations Sanctions against Iraq in 1999; as a Military Observer for the United Nations Transition Authority East Timor in Timor Leste from July 2002 to January 2003; as Operations Officer in HMNZS Te Mana during Operation Enduring Freedom in the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Gulf in 2004, and Commanding Officer of HMNZS Te Mana assigned to the Combined Maritime Forces CTF 151 and NATO CTF 508 for counter piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden from November 2013 to February 2014.
Command appointments include Commanding Officer of the Hydrographical Survey Ship HMNZS Resolution, from February 2009 to November 2010, and Commanding Officer of HMNZS Te Mana, from 12 December 2012 to 8 May 2014.
Commodore Arndell was promoted to Captain in August 2016 and has held appointments as the Director for Strategic Engagement for Defence; Defence Attachè to Belgium (Resident) and France (Non Resident). He was appointed as the Acting Defence Advisor to the United Kingdom and Head of New Zealand Defence Staff, London, from mid April to the end of July 2020; Assistant Chief of Navy - Delivery and Headquarters Navy Chief of Staff until 2021.
He was the Private Secretary to the Minister of Defence from April 2022 until March 2023. He then returned to Headquarters NZDF to lead the review of the NZDF’s Military Factor and allowances in support of the Chief People Officer before reappointment as Acting Deputy Chief of Navy in May 2024.
He is a graduate of the Australian Defence College, Advanced Command and Staff Course of 2006; a graduate of the United States Naval War College, Naval Command Course Class of 2016; and holds a Masters of Science in Innovation and Strategic Management from Salve Regina University in Rhode Island, United States.
He was promoted to his current rank on 27 Sep 2024 and appointed as the Maritime Component Commander on 30 Sep 2024.