Tena koutou katoa (greetings), I'm Commander Mike Peebles the Commanding Officer of HMNZS Te Mana. I wanted to take
this opportunity to give you a closer look at the ship, it's upgraded capabilities and what
life is like on board. So nau mai haere mai (welcome), let's go take a 360 degree video tour of the mighty Te Mana.
The Royal New Zealand Navy have two upgraded Anzac class frigates HMNZS Te Mana
and HMNZS Te Kaha. They're the main fighting ships of our Navy and play a vital
role in protecting New Zealand's exports, maritime resources and those of our neighbours and allies.
Here we are on the bridge of Te Mana this is the eyes and ears of the ship,
the Officer of the Watch executes navigation on my behalf, it ensures Te Mana is at the
right place at the right time. The bridge team play a key role in keeping the ship
in its crew safe at sea and are the first point of contact for any major activity
on board. This can be a high pressure place in the thick of Naval activity.
Te Mana has an array of weapons on board her main armament is the mark 45 5-inch Naval gun, capable
of firing 20 rounds per minute out to a max range of 24 kilometers. Here's a fun fact Te Mana and
Te Kaha's main gains are different shapes and are one of the easiest ways to tell the ships apart.
The newly installed vertical launch sea ceptor missile system is housed here, predominantly
a self-defense missile system capable of defeating incoming enemy missiles,
however it can also be used offensively against both air and surface contacts.
On each side of the ship is an anti-submarine torpedo launching system that holds three
torpedoes each they operate the Mark 46 torpedo which is 2.5 meters long and weighs 230 kilograms.
These Torpedoes are used in anti-submarine warfare to counter subsurface threats.
To ensure Te Mana remains operational in the midst of battle, she's also kitted out with
a range of defensive capabilities such as these multi-ammunition soft kill system, or
mass launchers for short, which act as missile decoys and a tow torpedo countermeasure system
that detects and classifies torpedoes and can launch acoustic decoys. Our last line of line
of automated weapons defence is the Phalanax close-in weapon system or CIWS for short. It is a 20
millimeter radar guided gatling gun capable of firing 3 000 rounds a minute with a range of
two to nine kilometers, it is effective against aircraft and ship missiles and fast attack boats.
And then of course of course the ship has 50 caliber machine guns, the
automated mini typhoon system and a range of small arms to protect
yourself from smaller close-range threats.
With over 175 crew on board they need somewhere to sleep, this is a accomplished through a range of mess decks,
from a single berth for the Commanding Officer and the heads of department, to four to sixth
birth for senior sailors and up to 15 person bursts for junior sailors. It's not the Hilton
hotel but it's a cozy home for us when deployed for up to six months at a time. Everyone knows the
Army marches on its stomach and the Navy is no different, our world-class chefs provide three
hot meals for our sailors every day, plus show off New Zealand's cuisine on the international stage
during high profile events such as official functions and luncheons whilst overseas.
Injuries can happen at sea, almost all of them can be treated in the sick bay and adjoining
medical ward by qualified medics and doctors who utilize a range of medical equipment and have
access to medication for most ailments. Whilst work on board never stops, our people do enjoy
much into downtime, they do this by doing PT on the flight deck or in the gym, socialising in the
messes, enjoying games or movies, plus a range of organised events to boost morale. We do not
have Wi-Fi on board but ships company can keep in contact with loved ones back home via email.
Behind the roller door is the hanger where the embarked Seasprite helicopter is stored, and out
here on the flight deck is where it takes off and lands. The helo is a highly valuable asset that
provides force protection, maritime surveillance, search and rescue and a combat capability through
air launch torpedoes and anti-ship missiles. So that's our ship the mighty Te Mana, I hope you've
enjoyed the tour and have a better understanding of the Navy's combat capability. Mā te wā (see you later).