Kotare was tasked with providing capability integration expertise to ensure the Navy’s Dive Hydrographic Vessel, HMNZS Manawanui, achieved Operational Release—the point at which the Navy fully accepts ownership of a new capability from the Ministry of Defence. True to our ethos, “Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini” †, we assembled a multi-disciplinary team to deliver the project. This team embodied the essence of an integrated project team approach, combining operational experience with deep engineering expertise. Our team included personnel with experience across various military forces and engineers with both civil and military backgrounds specific to vessels like these—a combination that is hard to find.
What is Capability Integration? It involves introducing a new military capability into service, ensuring it meets all requirements and can be operated and supported effectively. This process encompasses all ten elements of Integrated Logistics Support (ILS), a critical aspect of military project management that ensures systems are maintained, supplied, and supported throughout their life cycle. Effective ILS planning and ILS management are essential, engaging with the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF), the ship’s crew, and multiple defence suppliers to achieve effective naval integration, while adhering to stringent safety and environmental management standards.
Leveraging our capability integration-as-a-service model (why settle for a single consultant when you can have an expert team for the same price?), we delivered a comprehensive suite of Operational Release documentation, resolving many long-standing support issues, and provided a new Operational Capability Statement. However we also provided additional services outside of the Statement of Work, including a Naval Ship Code Concept of Operations (CONOPS), additional safety artefacts, a Cargo Securing Manual, capability learning analysis, an ILS audit and even some complimentary follow on services. These were all provided within the project time frame and budget with no additional cost to the client
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†Success is not the work of an individual, but the work of many.