Pacific Partnership 2011

[Old Salt]

HMNZS Canterbury and 150 NZDF personnel are taking part in the Pacific Partnership 2011 mission to enhance international response to humanitarian and natural disaster efforts though medical, dental and engineering outreach projects She has a multinational crew onboard including Swedes, Australians and Canadians and will be operating with ships from the USA, Australia, France and Japan

This year the NZ contribution is focussed on the nations of Tonga and Vanuatu. She embarked a FANC (French Army New Caledonia) PUMA helicopter and crew at Noumea. The PUMA can carry 12 personnel and up to 2 tonnes of cargo during the operation. The ship is now off Niuatoputapu, a small island in Tonga devastated by cyclones last year. She has landed NZDF personnel and supplies on the island and humanitarian work is underway including dental, medical and construction work.

She has been joined by USS Cleveland LPH7, whose helicopter landing on Canterbury marked the first time a US Navy helicopter has landed on a RNZN ship during an exercise for 28 years. Similarly the mutual exchange of 8 sailors for the exercise is also the first inter-Navy exchange in the same 28 years.

[Old Salt]

The first docking of an RNZN Landing Craft from HMNZS CANTERBURY using a wet well deck was completed last week in Luganville Harbour, Vanuatu with the USS CLEVELAND.

A wet well-deck is a compartment on a ship that can be flooded with sea water allowing a Landing Craft to enter via a stern door to embark personnel, vehicles or cargo.

HMNZS CANTERBURY and USS CLEVELAND are deployed in Vanuatu on Operation Pacific Partnership. During the deployment an opportunity was taken to conduct Force Integration Training (FIT) between CANTERBURY’s Landing Craft Medium (LCM) and CLEVELAND’s wet well-deck.

[Old Salt]

The RNZN has ended a history-making exercise with the US navy in the Pacific Islands.

The navy's multi-role ship HMNZS Canterbury has been in the islands for a month exercising with the 45-year-old amphibious transport ship, USS Cleveland, in the first naval exercise between the two countries since New Zealand declared itself nuclear free in 1985.

The navy said it was also the first time an American-led exercise had been commanded from a New Zealand navy ship.

The two navies were part of Operation Pacific Partnership, a humanitarian aid and disaster relief exercise in Tonga, and Vanuatu.

Lieutenant Colonel Don Jones, commander of the NZ Defence contingent for Pacific Partnership, said the Americans "approach things a little differently to how Kiwis do, but it complements what we can do.

"They have a lot of resources and they've got big hearts. Having the people and MH60 helicopters that USS Cleveland was able to bring to the effort was excellent," he said.

The commanding officer of Canterbury, Commander Jim Gilmour, said it was historic and special moment when a US Naval flag officer shifted his pennant to a New Zealand ship for the first time.

Captain Jesse Wilson, from the US Navy, took his staff and pennant to Canterbury and commanded the exercise for nearly a month.

"It can't be overstated what a big deal that has been for the RNZN, and I can honestly say that this past month has been one of the most satisfying in my career," said Cdr Gilmore.

New Zealand Defence Force medics, engineers, divers and builders put 8500 man hours into humanitarian aid tasks on the ground in Niuatoputapu in Tonga and Espiritu Santo in Vanuatu.

They were working alongside personnel from America, Australia, France, Tonga and Vanuatu.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade supported the aid work with $500,000 in funding from the New Zealand Aid Programme.

NZPA

[Old Salt]

Apart from the military co-operation exercises , the Pacific Partnership 2011 performed the following tasks of civil aid :

Nuiatoputapu ( the Tongan island that had suffered badly from the 2010 tsunami.)

The island has only one dental hygienist and one nurse to cater to over 800 people. NZDF doctors and nursing officers carried out First Aid courses,
clinics and a health and hygiene course for local teachers, parents and school children covering preventative dental and medical methods

The NZDF aid effort added up to 5500 manhours on shore
• The complete refurbishment of the classroom and library at Falehau primary school
• Construction of over 1km of fencing around local schools
• Installation of two LANs and provision of 15 ex-Defence computers at the schools
• Installation of 2 school playgrounds
• Refurbishment of two toilet blocks at the schools
• Provision of 20 sets of hand tools for industrial arts classrooms
• Installed 7x 10,000L water tanks to create a 70,000L emergency reservoir
• Replaced 3x existing leaking water tanks to add 30,000L to emergency reservoir
• Reporting on water quality and methods of improvement
• Assessment of mosquito eradication and control programmes
• Local water bores were fixed
• Obstructions in the reef survey with some removed, by RNZN & RAN personnel
• Survey of wharf damage for remedial work
• A Red Cross hut moved and renovated for the Government of Tonga.
• 272 Tongans (mostly school-aged children) received dental exams, oral hygiene exams and oral surgery
•50 doctor’s consultations for local community members
• 24 completed the First Aid course
• 40 mothers participated in health and hygiene courses
Supplies and personnel
• Over 4500 man hours invested on CANTERBURY for Niuatoputapu taskings
• 871 total personnel transferred to and from shore via amphibious ops or Puma helo
• 160 tonnes of vehicles, equipment and supplies transferred ashore via 48 underslung Puma loads and 18 LCM transfers.

Luganville, Vanuatu

NZ Defence Force personnel put 3000 man-hours into humanitarian aid and civil tasks in Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu.
Hundreds of people came to Luganville Hospital to receive free medical and dental care from qualified NZ, US, Canadian and Australian defence medical staff.
The NZDF Forward Surgical Team (FST), a land, sea and air-transportable unit, is designed to provide immediate and emergency treatment including resuscitative surgery for casualties. It utilises a pool of Civilian Volunteer Health Specialists from within the public health sector of NZ and draws from NZ Ministry of Health pharmaceutical supplies.
• 23 surgical procedures conducted by NZ FST
• 64 patients screened by NZDF dental team
• Dental work on MEDCAP programs with NZ, US, Canadian and Australian Forces in rural villages around Santo.
Matantas village:
• Water harvesting project at De Quiros Primary School and kindergarten
• Re-roofing the local kindergarten
• Creation and construction of ablutions in local monument area.
Malao village:
• Village water harvesting project
• Refurbishment of Malao Primary School buildings
• Refurbishment of the local Nambei Clinic
Ban Ban & Lorethiakarkar Primary Schools:
NZ Defence Force personnel worked alongside US forces:
• 3 x classroom water supply projects including bargeboard, guttering & spouting
• 3 x classroom including corrugated roof system
• 4x water catchment tanks & concrete tank stands
• 2x restroom with six stalls and 300 gallon septic tank
St Theresa High School:
• Re-roof and refurbish two classrooms.

A really excellent example of international co-operation providing practical support to Pacific Island nations

RNZN

[Old Salt]

The political and defence breakthroughs in this exercise are significant and should not be overlooked.

In 1984, the Labour government barred nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed ships from using New Zealand ports or entering New Zealand waters. Under the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone,(etc) Act 1987, the territorial sea, land and airspace of New Zealand became nuclear-free zones. This has since become a sacrosanct touchstone of New Zealand foreign policy.

The United States government suspended its ANZUS obligations to New Zealand and refused further defence co-operation. The policies continued by successive governments of both coutries continued, although NZ supplied troops to assist the US in Afghanistan. A proposed free trade agreement was declined by US because of the NZ nuclear stance.

The last few years the position has slowly softened, particularly since a visit by Hilary Clinton. Last year saw RNZN ships visit US ports on their way home from the Canadian Navy celebrations.

This exercise, the first between our nations for 27 years included many other firsts: the first time helos landed on each others ships, the first time landing craft were exchanged between ships, the first time the two navies worked alongside each other, the first time a USN task force commander flew his flag from a NZ ship.

And the non nuclear issue ?: we agree to disagree

I for one am pleased to return to the good relationships we shared in my time.

Brian

[Don Boyer]

Really a great series of posts on this event, Brian, was really an interesting read, and always good to hear about navies doing things other than shooting holes in things and all that warlike stuff. I would bet the recipients of all that assistance will never forget it.

I had a couple of photographs of the Cleveland down in your area, and am having a terrible time finding them. When I do, will post them.

And congratulations from this old sailor to the RNZN, RAN and other participants on a job well done! Bravo Zulu!

As to the nuclear issue, that's a touchy one, and one I can fully understand, having been a nuclear weapons specialist in my day. Nuclear reactors powering ships is one thing, carrying nuclear weapons another, but there doesn't seem to be a distinction there among those who protest loudly against nuclear anything. Understandable, but regrettable too. As for my own stance, well, if "THEY" have them, then I want a bunch too, and if there are those sneaky ones out there who might aspire to acquire them for whatever nefarious purposes, then I want more to make sure we've got them covered! :) One has to admit, since we used the first two in combat, nobody's been really thrilled at the concept of using them again, which has to count as some kind of deterrence. It's those untrustworthy ones out there that are scary!

Best regards

[Old Salt]

Thanks Don

It was indeed great to see navies joining forces for the good of small islands devastated by cyclones last year. I wish I could have been there to help ... and to see the childrens' faces.

I agree entirely with you about the nuclear issue, but it would be political suicide for any government to repeal the law. We are fortunate that we have ample hydro power from our many lakes and have no need for nuclear power stations.

It is not good to see Iran dabbling in nuclear weapons ... the lunatics are running the asylum over there.

Brian