Contributions to High Level Outcomes
The NZDF has contributed to Key Government Goal Number 1: “To Strengthen National Identity: celebrate our identity in a world as people who support and defend freedom and fairness”. We have done this through the main high level outcome: “New Zealand Secure and Protected from External Threats now and in the Future”, and seek to sustain our effort through the various intermediate outcomes as shown below.
Intermediate Outcome 1: Secure New Zealand
While New Zealand does not face any direct military threat, a growing number of transnational security challenges, with implications for New Zealand, have created a complex and uncertain strategic environment. In response to these challenges, the NZDF has contributed the following to secure New Zealand.
Protecting Persons and Infrastructure from Civil Instability and Disasters
Within the context of a whole of government approach, NZDF personnel have provided military assistance to the NZ Police, NZ Fire Service and others. All three Services maintained the capacity to provide logistical support, reconnaissance, search and rescue/emergency responses and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD). Personnel from across the NZDF were also available to assist civil authorities if requested.
Protected from Transnational Illegal Activities
The Navy and Air Force demonstrated their ability to conduct multi-agency operations and tasks (MAO&T), including surveillance patrols in New Zealand’s EEZ, the Southern Ocean and Ross Dependency for a range of government departments and agencies. These included the New Zealand Customs Service, Department of Conservation and Ministry of Fisheries.
Protected from Terrorism
All three Services maintained a capacity to respond to acts of terrorism and sabotage. Standby forces at appropriate response times were available for surveillance, counter terrorism, special maritime tasks in the littoral, Improvised Explosive Device Disposal (IEDD), Chemical, Biological Response (CBR), and logistical and transport support.
Intermediate Outcome 2: Reduced Risks From Regional and Global Insecurity Through:
A Secure, Peaceful and Stable Australia
Australia continues to be our closest strategic partner. During the year, we have combined with the Australian Defence Force (ADF) in the Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission in the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) and the Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF) in Timor Leste. We also acted together in the NZ-led mission in Tonga. Such operations illustrate the ADF’s and NZDF’s ability to work together; an essential element in the pursuit of this outcome.
NZDF force elements also participated in, or supported units, deploying to exercises with or in Australia. The Navy works with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) routinely. The Army sent soldiers to Townsville, North Queensland, as part of Exercise Suman Warrior, other Army personnel participated in Exercise Northern Kiwi and Territorial Force (TF) soldiers participated in Exercise Tasman Reserve. Notably, Navy and Air Force personnel also participated in Exercises Aswex 06 and Tasmanex 07: combined and joint maritime/air exercises. An important achievement for the Maritime Patrol Force (P-3K Orions) has been increased opportunities to train with the ADF. Also, NZDF personnel participated in bilateral defence dialogue, including Army-to-Army and Air-to-Air talks, discussed the coordination of our Mutual Assistance Programme (MAP) and the ADF Defence Cooperation Program (DCP), attended courses, and had postings, exchanges and visits to Australia.
A Secure, Peaceful and Stable South Pacific
Transnational security challenges are increasingly apparent in the South Pacific, and hinder the achievement of good governance and public order in our near neighbourhood. During the year, the NZDF provided peacekeeping assistance to our Pacific neighbours to help manage security challenges and other emergencies such as disaster relief, maritime security and search and rescue.
The NZDF showed that it is able to operate alongside counterparts in the region, for example by providing personnel to RAMSI. Territorial Force (TF) personnel now constitute the majority of the NZDF platoon of 44 personnel deployed to this mission. Our platoon in the Solomon Islands is conducting provincial presence patrols, CBD security patrols in Honiara, and external security at Rove Prison. The Deputy Commander of the military component of RAMSI is a New Zealand Army officer.
The NZDF also provided emergency aid to the Solomon Islands in the days after the earthquake and tsunami there on 2 April 2007. The NZDF worked alongside New Zealand High Commission staff, NZAID and New Zealand non government organisation (NGO) workers to provide much needed help.
In response to civil unrest in Tonga, over the period 16–17 November 2006, 52 NZDF and 50 ADF personnel were deployed to assist the Tongan Police and Tongan Defence Service (TDS) to ensure normal operations were maintained at Tonga’s International Airport and to restore order in and around Nuku’alofa. This was a New Zealand-led operation.
The NZDF was also on stand by to assist in the evacuation of New Zealand nationals following the military coup in Fiji in December 2006.
The NZDF also conducted a number of ancillary tasks in the region. We continued to provide personnel to the Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu for training and technical assistance under the Mutual [Military] Assistance Programme (MAP). Ships of the Navy supported visits by the Governor General, Prime Minister and others. RNZAF P-3K Orion aircraft and crews from 5 Squadron RNZAF conducted surveillance flights to patrol international waters and the EEZs of Fiji, Niue, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga. Orion aircraft and crews also conducted sorties in the vicinity of Tonga to search for overdue vessels, and provided support to the Pacific Forum Fishing Agency. RNZAF C-130 Hercules and Boeing 757 aircraft and crews from 40 Squadron RNZAF conducted a variety of missions involving the transport of freight and passengers to the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Fiji, and New Caledonia.
A Secure and Stable Asia-Pacific Region
Further afield, the NZDF has been playing a crucial role in Timor Leste following the breakdown of law and order there in 2006, with the continued deployment of an infantry company group. During the reporting period the NZDF deployed two UH-1H Iroquois helicopters, which have been integrated into the helicopter component of the Australian-led CJTF. Additionally, two NZDF personnel and 25 NZ Police personnel are serving there as part of the UN mission; and two NZDF personnel are attached to the Timor Leste Defence Force (FDTL) as advisors.
The NZDF takes an active role in the FPDA with Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and the United Kingdom to help build capacity to meet security challenges with an orientation that is increasingly towards nonconventional concerns. This year the NZDF participated in Exercise Bersama Padu 06, one of a series of major FPDA joint and combined exercises, field training and command post exercises that focused on the operational and tactical levels. Exercise Bersama Padu 06 was hosted by the Republic of Singapore Navy, and conducted in a multi-threat environment for the defence of Malaysia and Singapore. NZDF force elements that participated in the exercise were HMNZ ships Te Kaha and Endeavour, the Operational Diving Team (ODT), and a P-3K Orion aircraft.
The NZDF participated in bilateral exercises with the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF): Exercise Lion Zeal (bilateral briefings, war gaming exercise and a sea phase with the Republic of Singapore Navy) and Exercise Lion Heart (bilateral special forces training). A contingent of NZDF personnel participated in Exercise Kiwi Spirit, a reciprocal bi-annual arrangement with the SAF, which enabled our Army to practice operational planning at Brigade Headquarters level within a conventional war-fighting scenario.
In addition, 2/1st Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment deployed a Rifle Company to Malaysia for Exercise Taiaha Tombak 06.
HMNZS Te Kaha, Te Mana and Endeavour conducted successful defence diplomacy visits to Tokyo, Chinhae, Hong Kong, Ho Chi Minh City and Singapore. No 5 Squadron RNZAF sent a P-3K Orion to an exercise with the navies of the Republic of Korea and Japan.
The NZDF is developing its defence interaction with Viet Nam, including mutual assistance training covering such areas as leadership development and professional military training.
A More Secure and Stable World
Despite the comparatively small size of the NZDF, we have continued to provide valuable contributions to collective security and peace support operations conducted by the United Nations and other multinational agencies and coalitions. In this way, we have contributed to upholding the principles of the United Nations Charter.
Our participation in United Nations and other multi-national peace support operations underlines our wider commitment to collective security, and New Zealand’s credentials as a good international citizen. In particular, we have continued to sustain, since 2003, a company-sized contribution to the reconstruction of Bamyan Province in Afghanistan. The NZDF is committed to this task until September 2008. The current commitment includes:
- The 120 strong Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT).
- Two personnel to help train the Afghan National Army.
- Up to five officers to serve with the International Security Assistance Force Headquarters.
- We also support the four Police Officers who are helping train the Afghan National Police.
- A small team of SAF personnel have joined the NZDF PRT – initially to provide a dental team and then an engineering team to work on construction and repair tasks.
- The NZDF has initiated planning for the deployment of up to two health specialists to the Multinational Medical Unit at Kandahar Airfield, where they will work alongside medical staff from Canada.
- Planning is also underway for a frigate to join the Maritime Interdiction Operation (MIO) in the Arabian Gulf. The frigate will join the MIO in early-mid 2008 as an extension of a planned deployment to South East Asia.
Earlier this year, ten NZDF personnel deployed to Southern Lebanon where they are part of the UN effort to clear unexploded munitions in Southern Lebanon. The NZDF commitment comprises a ten-person EOD team attached to the UN Mine Action Co-ordination Centre in southern Lebanon (UNMACC-SL). The commitment is for one year, with two teams each serving in Lebanon for a six-month period.
The NZDF also continued to contribute to peace support operations in Bosnia1, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Kosovo, South Korea and Sudan.
A short deployment with an Indian Navy Task Group to the Andaman Islands was an important step in the developing relationship between the Indian Navy and the RNZN.
The NZDF also participated in Exercise Cambrian Patrol with the British Army and was involved with Exercises Long Look (United Kingdom) and CANZEX (Canada). The RNZAF also participated in Exercise Maple Flag – a tactical flying exercise, hosted by Canada and involving participants from UK, USA, and Australia.
Intermediate Outcome 3 – New Zealand Values and Interests Advanced Through Participation in Regional and International Security Systems
Contributions to this outcome included the following:
- Ongoing support was provided to UN missions (see section on Output Expense 16 – Operationally Deployed Forces, for more detail.)
- Participation in a Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) exercise and an Operational Experts Group (OEG) meeting in Canada. A NZDF senior officer co-chaired an OEG meeting in Auckland. The PSI fosters cooperation among participating states to counter the trafficking of weapons of mass destruction, in line with relevant domestic and international law.
- Representation at the ASEAN Regional Forum Intercessional Support Group on confidence building measures and preventive diplomacy, and the FPDA Professional Forum.
- NZDF personnel attended various five-nation standardisation meetings2; North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Standardisation Agency meetings; and other seminars, workshops, courses, postings/secondments and exchanges with various overseas countries.
Intermediate Outcome 4 – New Zealand able to meet Future National Security Challenges
Contributions to this outcome were achieved through:
- The Defence Sustainability Initiative (DSI).
- An updated and integrated Long Term Development Plan (LTDP).
- A revised Capability Management Framework (CMF).
- The NZDF Strategic Plan.
- Development of NZDF Strategic Trends Assessment and Joint Vision Concept.
- An expanded Minor Capital Equipment Programme (for projects under $7m).
- Resource Allocation and Management Programme (RAMP).
Notes
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