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Visit of Indian Naval Ships to New Zealand
Over the last one year, we have seen enhanced engagement between India and New Zealand across various sectors including political, business, defence and security. The visit of Dr. S. Jaishankar, Hon’ble External Affairs Minister of India to New Zealand in October 2022 was followed by visit of Hon. Nanaia Mahuta, Foreign Minister of New Zealand to India in February 2023. Most recently, our two Prime Ministers met in Port Moresby on the sidelines of the FIPIC III Summit. Our two Defence Ministers also met in Bangkok in November 2022, on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Ministers meeting. It may be recalled that Admiral R Hari Kumar, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC, Chief of the Naval Staff visited New Zealand last year and a White Shipping Agreement was signed during his visit.
- 2. A delegation from the National Defence College of India, led by Lt Gen Sukriti Singh Dahiya, SM, VSM also visited New Zealand in May-June this year and had productive discussions with the Ministry of Defence.
- 3. To further strengthen our cooperation in the defence sector, two
Indian Naval ships will visit New Zealand on goodwill visit from 31
August-3 September 2023. INS Sahyadri will be visiting Wellington and INS Kolkata from will be visiting Auckland on 31 August, 2023.
- 4. Earlier, the following Indian Naval Ships have visited New Zealand:
(i) Two Indian naval warships (INS Mumbai, a missile destroyer, and INS Jyoti, a tanker) visited Wellington from October 9-12, 2001.
(ii) INS ‘Tabar’ visited Auckland from 2-6 July 2006.
(iii) INS Sumitra (Offshore Patrol Vessel) visited Auckland from 16- 22 Nov 2016.
(iv) The Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Tarini docked at
Lyttleton Port in NZ from 29 Nov to 12 December 2017 in the second leg of its maiden voyage to circumnavigate the globe.
- 5. Details about visiting ships from 31 Aug to 3 Sep 2023:
(i) INS Sahyadri is an indigenously built stealth multi-role frigate of the Indian Navy. It is part of the Shivalik-class frigates, which are designed and manufactured in India. The ship is named after the Western Ghats Mountain range, also known as the Sahyadri Range, in India.
INS Sahyadri was commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 21,
- 2012. The frigate is equipped with advanced weapons and sensors, making it capable of performing a variety of roles, including anti- submarine warfare, anti-air warfare, and anti-surface warfare. It is known for its modern technology, including stealth features to reduce its radar cross-section, enhancing its survivability in combat situation
The Shivalik-class frigates, including INS Sahyadri, play a crucial role in the Indian Navy’s efforts to maintain maritime security and protect the nation’s interests in the Indian Ocean region. These frigates are designed to operate in a variety of conditions and are capable of conducting long-range operations independently or as part of a larger naval task force.
(ii) INS Kolkata is a modern and powerful guided-missile destroyer of the Indian Navy. It is the lead ship of the Kolkata-class destroyers, which are the largest and most advanced destroyers built in India. The ship is named after the city of Kolkata, one of the major cities in India.
INS Kolkata was commissioned into the Indian Navy on August 16,
- 2014. It is equipped with a variety of advanced weapons and sensors, making it capable of carrying out a range of missions including anti- air warfare, anti-surface warfare, and anti-submarine warfare. The ship is designed with stealth features to reduce its radar cross-section and increase survivability in combat situatio
The Kolkata-class destroyers are a significant addition to the Indian Navy’s fleet and play a crucial role in enhancing the country’s maritime security and power projection capabilities. These destroyers are designed to operate in complex and challenging naval environments and can be used for both offensive and defensive operations.
- 6. High Commissioner Neeta Bhushan described the ship visits as a momentous occasion that will further strengthen India-New Zealand partner She stated that it was ‘historic’ that two Naval Ships are visiting Wellington and Auckland respectively at the same time. This is reflective of the fact that our bonds are getting closer and deeper across sectors especially in the sphere of defence.
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