Protecting sea lanes through partnership: Exercise Bell Buoy concludes in Auckland

Exercise Bell Buoy in early May 2026 concluded after two weeks of intense operational activity in Auckland, New Zealand, bringing together international military and maritime partners to strengthen cooperation in an increasingly complex global security environment.

Bell Buoy is designed to train personnel engaged in Naval Cooperation and Guidance for Shipping (NCAGS) and Maritime Trade Operations (MTO). It focuses on protecting commercial shipping, enhancing maritime domain awareness, and improving coordination among partner nations during crisis scenarios.

This year’s edition brought together representatives from Australia, Canada, Ecuador, France, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and the United States. More than 42 participants, including NATO and PACIOSWG (Pacific and Indian Ocean Shipping Working Group) representatives, took part in the exercise. The primary objective was to strengthen international cooperation and coordination among NCAGS/MTO units operating in an escalating security scenario.

In its third consecutive year of participation, EU CRIMARIO supported the exercise by providing IORIS as the communication and collaboration platform for both commercial and military personnel involved in the operations. The EU CRIMARIO Exercise Planner was present on behalf of the project and provided initial training at the start of the exercise, as well as continuous support to both participants and the exercise control group, ensuring IORIS was used to its full potential. Drawing on his years of experience as a NCAGS officer, he helped integrate IORIS effectively into the scenario’s communication structure. 

The exercise included a wide range of operational simulations aimed at ensuring the safety of seafarers and the continuity of maritime trade during conflicts, piracy incidents, and other crises. Participants trained on maritime interdiction operations (MIO), navigation through maritime threats scenarios, while military and maritime industry experts worked together on tactics, techniques, and procedures for protecting commercial vessels.

Throughout the exercise, IORIS served as the sole communication tool used to compile and maintain a Common Operating Picture (COP), ensuring full situational awareness for all participants during the implementation of the scenarios. The platform also acted as the primary communication channel between units operating from different simulated locations.

With 99 per cent of New Zealand’s imports and exports transported by sea, the protection of maritime trade routes remains a strategic priority. Commodore Arndell, participating in the exercise, underlined the importance of securing sea lanes at a time of growing geopolitical instability. “The deteriorating strategic environment in the Indo-Pacific, and indeed the world, is requiring us to be more alert of the potential for impacts to our vital shipping links to international markets,” he said.

Across the world, safe passage for merchant shipping and freedom of navigation are more relevant today than at any time in recent years.

Captain Cannon Neslen, U.S. Pacific Fleet NCAGS Director, said the global merchant shipping industry is facing “unprecedented” security challenges. He stressed the importance of exercises such as Bell Buoy in strengthening cooperation between civilian and military maritime stakeholders: “It highlights the importance of the MTO teams communicating with key shipping and country stakeholders in understanding the array of commercial and military risks.”

Sub Lieutenant Amos Kamo, a Maritime Trade Operations reservist with Auckland-based unit HMNZS Ngapona, highlighted how current global events have reinforced the relevance of the training: “Everything that is playing out over there, is everything we have trained for” he said. 

“People have become a lot more interested in what we do, and they can see the relevance of it.” “The real highlight for us is spending time with other countries, getting to know other people and getting a great sense of how they take their military doctrine and effect it. You see a lot of competency and confidence and it’s really cool to absorb it.”

As maritime security challenges continue to evolve, exercises such as Bell Buoy demonstrate the importance of international cooperation, information sharing, and strong coordination between military and civilian partners. By working together and building mutual understanding, participating nations strengthen their collective ability to safeguard global trade routes and respond effectively to future crises. 

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