Maritime Component Commander (New Zealand)

The Maritime Component Commander (MCC) is the officer of Commodore rank who directs all the operational forces of the Royal New Zealand Navy. The current postholder is Captain D.G. McEwan, appointed 1 March 2018. MCC directs all the ships of the Navy and several subordinate captains and commanders, most resident several hundred kilometres to the north at Devonport Naval Base in Auckland.

From 1940 the title of the post was Naval Officer-in-Charge, Auckland, and from 1 January 1961 the Commodore, Auckland ("COMAUCK")[1] which changed to the Maritime Commander in March 1993.[2] Among the Commodores Auckland was Commodore J O'C Ross, who later wrote The White Ensign in New Zealand, and later Rear Admirals and Chiefs of Naval Staff John McKenzie[3] Lincoln Tempero,[4] and Somerford Teagle. The last COMAUCK was Commodore K.R. Moen, appointed 14 March 1992.

According to RNZN Bridge Cards, Captain I.A. Hunter commanded HMNZS Southland (F104) from December 1983 to December 1984 (and later became COMAUCK). When New Zealand's four Leander-class frigates made up the 11th Frigate Squadron (in tandem with the Royal Navy's frigate squadrons) the ship’s commander of that squadron was a Captain and referred to as “F11”. The 11th Frigate Squadron was under the command of the Commodore Auckland.

The title was changed to Maritime Component Commander as of 1 July 2001, with the establishment of Headquarters Joint Forces New Zealand and the move of the incumbent from Devonport Naval Base in Auckland to HQ JFNZ, on Seddul Bahr Road in Upper Hutt facing Trentham Military Camp.