TE MANA is the RNZN's second ANZAC Class frigate. Launched on 10 May 1997 by the Maori Queen, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, HMNZS TE MANA was fitted out in Melbourne and commissioned in her home port of Tauranga on 10 December 1999.
HMNZS TE MANA has been built to the same specifications as her sister, HMNZS TE KAHA, but some incremental improvements have been worked into the frigate. The most visible is the new gun shield for the 127 mm gun, which is a 'stealth' mounting, intended to have a reduced radar cross section.
HMNZS TE MANA carries one KAMAN SH-2G Super Seasprite helicopter that can be armed with torpedoes, depth charges and maverick missiles.
The name TE MANA is Maori, meaning 'status' or 'authority'. The Ship's Motto is 'Kokiri Kia U' - 'Striving towards perfection'.
The Ship's Badge features a Great White Heron, or Kotuku - much revered in Maori folklore for its beauty and rarity. Tradition has it that Tane selected the Kotuku to escort him as he travelled the heavens in search of the three baskets of knowledge.