HMNZS Aotearoa deployed to the East China and Yellow Seas last month, conducting surveillance and deterrence operations aimed at reinforcing United Nations Security Council sanctions against North Korea. The vessel was accompanied by a P-8A Poseidon aircraft as part of Operation Whio, with the broader goal of constraining North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
RNZ had earlier reported that Aotearoa transited the Taiwan Strait and was shadowed during that passage. The New Zealand Defence Force has since confirmed seven separate People's Liberation Army (Navy) warships tracked the ship, all maintaining a "safe and professional distance" throughout.
Across a patrol area of 410,000 square kilometres, Aotearoa and its embarked SH-2G Seasprite helicopter interrupted two "possibly illicit" ship-to-ship transfers, identified seven vessels of interest, hailed 49 merchant vessels, and broadcast 79 deterrence messages. The P-8A Poseidon witnessed five ship-to-ship transfers, observed 59 vessels of interest, and issued 19 deterrence messages.
Aotearoa worked alongside naval vessels from Canada, France, and Japan during the deployment. Operating in a replenishment capacity, the ship also conducted resupply operations at sea for Australian and United States vessels.
"Through maritime patrol, airborne surveillance and international cooperation, we delivered tangible impact - from deterring illicit activity to supporting allied ships at sea. The professionalism of our own crews, and those of our partner nations, was evident throughout," said HMNZS Aotearoa Commanding Officer Rob Welford.
