New Zealand Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman on Friday hailed the first berthing in three decades of a New Zealand navy vessel for a major military exercise at the US naval base at Pearl Harbor as a sign of warming bilateral ties.

New Zealand supply ship HMNZS Canterbury had docked at the base in readiness for Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC), the world's biggest maritime military exercise, in waters around Hawaii.

"HMNZS Canterbury's docking at Pearl Harbor marks the first time in 30 years since a New Zealand ship berthed at a US naval base for RIMPAC. It is a tangible sign of the warmth of our relationship with the US," Coleman said in a statement.

New Zealand navy vessels had been barred from US military ports in response to New Zealand's ban on nuclear-armed and nuclear-powered vessels entering New Zealand waters, which was passed in the 1980s. During the last RIMPAC exercise in 2012, a New Zealand navy ship had to berth alongside cruise ships at Honolulu's commercial port.

"RIMPAC is a unique opportunity for the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) to strengthen relationships and interoperability with a wide range of partners. For the next month, 23 countries will exercise a range of capabilities, including disaster relief, maritime security operations and complex war-fighting," said Coleman.

RIMPAC helped to develop co-operative approaches to regional security and maritime conduct, which New Zealand appreciated as a trading nation.

"This exercise is also a good opportunity for the NZDF to test the development of its Joint Task Force. Drawn from navy, army and air force, the Joint Task Force is a key capability contributing to regional security," said Coleman.

As well as HMNZS Canterbury, which is carrying a Seasprite helicopter, more than 250 NZDF personnel, including a light infantry platoon, a mine countermeasures team and an operational dive team and a P3K-2 Orion aircraft were taking part in RIMPAC.

In total, 47 ships, six submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 26 to Aug. 1.

Brunei and China are taking part for the first time, joining Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, South Korea, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Tonga, the United Kingdom and the US.

A New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) navy spokesperson told Xinhua an exemption was granted for a vessel to dock at Pearl Harbor for Victory over Japan Day commemorations in 1995, but this was the first docking for RIMPAC in 30 years.

In May last year, the NZDF said the frigate HMNZS Te Mana would take part in activities with the US Navy in waters around Guam and dock at the US Navy facility there.

That followed an announcement in 2012 by then US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, authorizing New Zealand navy ships to visit US Navy facilities subject to a case-by-case waiver.