The Radical Plan to Save New Zealand’s Navy
The Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) is facing a critical turning point as it navigates severe structural challenges, including aging equipment and a crewing crisis. Tasked with securing a massive maritime domain stretching from the Pacific Islands to the Antarctic Ocean, the New Zealand Defence Force must cover millions of square kilometres with an active fleet of just eight ships. The current operational model is under immense strain, as personnel shortages force the RNZN to inactivate or decommission ships, and as current ships face retirement in a few years. This video explores the current force composition, and how the navy plans to overcome these vulnerabilities to future-proof its capability.
A question:
I found there to be some very favourable approaches in how to address the aging fleet, ongoing staff challenges and land based structures within the RNZN as it exists today.
In particular the introduction of commonality throughout operational ships and the use of land/sea based drones. The first being an attempt to simplify and make similar the operational standards across the fleet regardless of ship type to a degree. Secondly the embracing of technology is fantastic through the use of drones, and assimilator training etc. To those of you (communicators) who trained ‘on the job’ after initial shore based training (although North Head provided good assimilator training) what are your thoughts on completing most of your training on assimilators then proceeding to operational. No difference? Better? Or not so effective?
Just throwing it out there….