New Zealand’s Royal Navy will join Britain’s Carrier Strike Group deployment to the Indo-Pacific, in a major step to deepen defence and security ties between the two countries, the UK Government has announced.
During a visit to Britain this week, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon met with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to cement a new era of cooperation.
Central to the announcement was confirmation that the Royal New Zealand Navy frigate HMNZS Te Kaha will join the UK Carrier Strike Group — led by HMS Prince of Wales — as it sails across the Indian Ocean towards the Pacific Rim.
According to a Downing Street statement, the leaders agreed that working together at sea would “strengthen national security, uphold stability across the Indo-Pacific, and reaffirm the longstanding bonds between our armed forces.” The deployment forms part of Operation Highmast, the Royal Navy’s flagship global mission of 2025 involving a dozen allied nations.
Beyond maritime operations, the two governments confirmed deeper collaboration in other areas of defence. Ministers have been instructed to develop a new joint defence agreement, succeeding the 2015 partnership, and reflecting increased defence spending in both countries — the UK to 2.5% and New Zealand to 2% of GDP.
Prime Minister Starmer emphasised the historical and enduring partnership between the two nations, stating: “From the beaches of Gallipoli to the joint training of Ukrainian forces today, the UK and New Zealand have always stood shoulder-to-shoulder in pursuit of peace and stability.”
Alongside defence discussions, the leaders also pledged to expand economic cooperation, including growing trade through the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the UK-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement. According to official figures, trade in goods and services between the two countries rose to £3.6 billion in the year to September 2024 — an increase of 5.3%.
Following their visit to Operation Interflex training in southern England, where New Zealand military trainers continue to support Ukrainian forces, the Prime Ministers returned to Downing Street to discuss future trade opportunities and plans for further economic growth initiatives.
As Operation Highmast begins, the deployment of a New Zealand warship alongside HMS Prince of Wales signals a visible and practical demonstration of Britain and New Zealand’s shared commitment to maintaining freedom of navigation and international security in a more contested Indo-Pacific region.
Wow, yet another country (this one not even in NATO) sending warships to our task force. I’m sure someone will be along shortly to tell us how this makes the UK a Joke and we don’t have a “proper” navy blah blah blah.
In all seriousness now I think we should consider running these task groups on an annual basis at least as far as the Indian Ocean and getting as many other Allie’s to contribute escorts, auxiliaries and even F35’s and helicopters.
This is the perfect task force for smaller NATO and commonwealth countries to contribute and gin experience while directly challenging US propaganda of every one else in the west bing useless and the Chinese propaganda of the US being isolated.
Relying on allies to flesh out the CSG shouldn’t be a necessity. It’s great there is so much interest in working with the RN, but it should be in addition to a core group rather than in place of critical enablers.
However I agree that these major deployments need to be more frequent than every 4-5 years, and it’s a great way to work with other nations.
I think a squadron of F35 onboard, a T45 and a T23 escort along one or two RFA assets can represent that core with Allie’s providing the rest. We can keep going to the pacific every three years as the norm with a deployment to the Indian Ocean on an annual basis.
Wasn’t there an expressed RN intent at one point to conduct CSG ops during alternating years w/in the E-A and the I-P? Probably future tense, post introduction of T-26, T-31 and FSS classes, post FOC (and perhaps Tranche 2 acquisition and partial Block 4 software integration) of F-35Bs, and an upgraded organic CSG AEW capability? Additionally, beneficial to await deployment of an Astute class SSN semi-permanenrly to the I-P, based at HMAS Stirling (Fleet Base West). Would presume the Admiralty has a timeline to restore full CSG operational capabilities, once additional funding is available and presuming a peacetime tempo of operations. Best SWAG re timeline: early-to-mid 2030s. Still, a significantly impressive feat, from a standing start. During the interim period, best advice would be to mature capabilities and op experience w/out avoidable risk exposure. 🤔👍😊🤞
… permanently…🙄
Even the USN has had allied ships join up to a carrier task force help out (ie not originally planned). If a warship has to drop out at short notice (or while underway), getting a replacement is not always easy or timely. But in general, even if all goes well, RN might manage a full CSG deployment by itself, but if the 2nd QE carrier is available? Smaller navies can fill in the blanks, but you need to train for it.
I got to agree with challenger here.
Jim, only a fool believes everything is Rosey in our garden.
We have a blue water navy, it just isn’t big enough. We have less surface ships than we had in the 2021 carrier group deployment.
The whole point was when the RN came back into the carrier game it would have enough surface escorts and that hasn’t happened.
If the US is becoming isolate they’ve only themselves to blame. A treacherous RW loon like Trump should never get past selection, let alone the White house.
I think we actually don’t have a “proper” navy. We’re scrapping the Albions with no replacement when they are vital, have about half the escorts we need, a tiny submarine fleet, just one geriatric FSS ship with a long wait for replacements. We’ve stupidly run the RN down far beyond anything necessary for peacetime as we cruise through very dangerous times. At any time the USN could become either neutral or actually hostile to other NATO nations.
The future looks bleak, the futuire looks “Orange”!
While this is a worthwhile deployment by RNZN, it should be realised that this is half of RNZN fighting capability. Not only that, but with only 2 frigates in total, this may well be 100% of its fighting capability at the time (rule of three & all that). Hopefully NZ government may finally realise the predicament that “Aunty Helen” has landed them in.
This is excellent news. This Strike Group is a force to be reckoned with and I think we may see other Nations join as well. Expect to see the Japanese and Australian Navies join the group and take part in various exercises. This sends out a very powerful message to any would be aggressor, and the message is a very simple one.
Play by the rules. We are watching.
Good stuff, let’s work with like minded westernised democracies.
More escorts are needed.
No, Jim has spoken, there is no need for anymore.
A welcome addition, great too for RNZN getting more expeience in interoperability.
Great that NZ is raising defence spending as for a nation with huge interests & commitments on the SW Pacific, China is exanding her influence & basing options widely there. PRC is a huge threat to Austrailia & NZ. If the USA remains under MAGA domination the they will be unreliable parthers at best & the PRC can expand at will in the chaos.
With 20 Sea Ceptors, HMNZS Te Kaha can barely defend itself much less assist in the defense of a carrier group.
In reality the NewZealand navy and airforce is a complete joke and they are essentially betting on both their isolation and the fact big brother ( Australia) will protect them, because geopolitically it would need to. Essentially NewZealand takes the piss just a bit less than Ireland, because it at least has 2 warships that would die valiantly if china ever decided it want something around NewZealand ( and Ireland be honest are the biggest piss takers of the lot and essentially in some sort of sick twisted joke on history parasite of the entirety from the UK for even everyday management of its sea and air Space..even before actual defence.. I did read a lovely little novel once in which a random middle easterner county loaded a load of soldiers in cargo ships and essentially conquered Ireland).
For a nation of that size and wealth they really should have 4-6 true general purpose frigates ( ASW and AAW) as well as 6-8 decent long range patrol vessels, airforce wise they need to actually re en state fast jets and have 2 squadrons of something like typhoon with decent AEW cover.
Maybe we could help and and sell them 4-6 frigates and 30 typhoons at a good rate 😉