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A diesel sub would have been unable to keep up with them while hoovering up ELINT (such as FCS) and screw noise while Frigates don't have the endurance to follow them for more than a week or two before having to return to replenish.The Australians were completely unaware of its NOTAM broadcast until notified by commercial aircraft. New Zealand however had deployed the frigate HMNZS Te Kaha to the edge of its EEZ and detected the NOTAM an hour earlier than the Australians were notified, crucially 30 minutes before it commenced rather than 30 minutes after like the Australians. When the second live fire exercise was held the next day closer to New Zealand it was able to launch its Seasprite helicopter to observe the ships. Luckily HMNZS Aotearoa was returning from Antarctica and able to take over station from the Te Kaha south of Tasmania (allowing it to return and replenish) and so followed the ships re-entering Australias EEZ and loitering 160 nautical miles east of Hobart. Australia by contrast has been relying on maritime patrol aircraft for intermittent monitoring and hasn't had any naval assets available to shadow their progress.
A diesel sub would have been unable to keep up with them while hoovering up ELINT (such as FCS) and screw noise while Frigates don't have the endurance to follow them for more than a week or two before having to return to replenish.
The Australians were completely unaware of its NOTAM broadcast until notified by commercial aircraft. New Zealand however had deployed the frigate HMNZS Te Kaha to the edge of its EEZ and detected the NOTAM an hour earlier than the Australians were notified, crucially 30 minutes before it commenced rather than 30 minutes after like the Australians. When the second live fire exercise was held the next day closer to New Zealand it was able to launch its Seasprite helicopter to observe the ships. Luckily HMNZS Aotearoa was returning from Antarctica and able to take over station from the Te Kaha south of Tasmania (allowing it to return and replenish) and so followed the ships re-entering Australias EEZ and loitering 160 nautical miles east of Hobart. Australia by contrast has been relying on maritime patrol aircraft for intermittent monitoring and hasn't had any naval assets available to shadow their progress.
