Over the last year, the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has operated in diverse areas around the world. The commitment of resources, especially our people, represents a significant contribution given our comparatively small size. Our focus continued to be on our efforts in specific areas where we can add value, rather than trying to do everything. Accordingly, we earned international respect as providers of effective military capabilities. At the same time we sought to foster and maintain the respect of New Zealanders in their Defence Force by interacting positively with communities at home and overseas.
In this Annual Report for 2006/07, I am pleased to again highlight the achievements of the NZDF as we move closer toward our Vision of “Three Services as One Force, being the best in everything we do” and the goal of a modernised, well-equipped and sustainable Defence Force.
The primary mission of the NZDF is “to secure New Zealand against external threat, to protect our sovereign interests, including in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and to be able to take action to meet likely contingencies in our strategic area of interest.” In executing our mission, we supported a wide range of the government’s strategic outcomes and related defence policy objectives. This included the deployment of contingents to Afghanistan, Timor Leste, Solomon Islands and Tonga. The last three of those deployments were accomplished within short response times. The NZDF also had forces on stand-by to evacuate New Zealand nationals from Fiji following the military coup there in December 2006. Our personnel served in United Nations missions in Lebanon, Iraq, Sudan, the Republic of Korea, Kosovo and elsewhere. We continued to do multi agency tasks in and around New Zealand together with other government departments and agencies; and to take a proactive role in joint exercises with overseas counterparts, particularly with our Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) partners, Australia, United Kingdom, Malaysia and Singapore. Operational assignments and training exercises build knowledge, trust, and relationships with counterparts, and help cement New Zealand’s reputation as a responsible international citizen.
Our efforts as a Defence Force and the calibre of our people have been acknowledged internationally. The NZDF is well-known for the skill, professionalism and expertise it brings to roles, such as reconstruction, the clearing and disposal of unexploded munitions, maritime security and special operations. Our ability to engage with communities and individuals where we serve ensures we deliver the best outcome possible in support of security and stabilising efforts and humanitarian objectives in often remote and volatile locations. Facilitating aid efforts, monitoring disarmament and assisting in the reconstruction of schools and other important institutions are part of what we do.
However, performing well as peacekeepers and providers of relief support is premised on the NZDF being militarily capable and trained in combat.
The NZDF has also undertaken search and rescue operations and supported other government departments and agencies to monitor activity in the New Zealand EEZ and along our borders, and those of our Pacific Island neighbours. Maintaining capabilities to assist with countering terrorism, transnational illegal activities and civil instability and providing assistance in the wake of disasters have been part of building readiness in support of securing New Zealand.
Support to communities throughout New Zealand and overseas by NZDF personnel has involved working alongside many organisations and groups. During 2006 we welcomed a new Governor General, we celebrated with all New Zealanders the Year of the Veteran, and we witnessed the special recognition of Lance Sergeant Haani Manahi’s gallantry by HRH Prince Andrew on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen. On Armistice Day a contingent of 250 NZDF personnel joined Her Majesty the Queen at the official dedication ceremony of the New Zealand Memorial in London.
At the time of writing, the Prime Minister, Rt Hon Helen Clark, announced that Her Majesty the Queen had conferred New Zealand Gallantry Awards for operational service in Afghanistan on four members of the New Zealand Special Air Service (NZSAS), including the Victoria Cross for New Zealand to Corporal Bill Henry (Willy) Apiata.
We were among those who farewelled the late Maori Queen, Dame Te Atairangikaahu, at her tangi at Turangawaewae Marae in August of 2006. We also helped to repatriate the late King of Tonga, and had a small presence at his funeral.
During the year, significant progress was made on improving our capabilities, including personnel, equipment and organisational health.
Military capability was delivered by committed people. We started the year addressing recruitment and retention challenges, especially the loss of trained personnel and high rates of attrition. A concerted effort by the Navy, Army and Air Force means that we now have more personnel than we did a year ago. Furthermore, new initiatives such as lateral recruitment and re-engaging ex service personnel are working, and we are continuing to develop enhanced conditions of service such as revised policies for remuneration and housing and accommodation to attract and retain the right people we need. Nevertheless, we still have some way to go before the numbers of skilled and experienced personnel are available in the right place and time to achieve our capability objectives.
While people are the most valuable portion of our resources, we have also made good progress in our reequipment and modernisation programme.
The latest version of the Defence Long-Term Development Plan (LTDP) was released in October of last year. Seven new projects were incorporated into the plan including upgrades for the two ANZAC frigates, HMNZS Te Mana and HMNZS Te Kaha, advanced pilot training, and an upgrade of taxiways at Ohakea Air Base.
These new projects and those already underway, among them Project Protector, upgrades for the C-130 Hercules, P-3K Orions and Boeing 757 aircraft, and enhanced firepower and support equipment for the Army; will improve the combat viability of the NZDF. They will also assist in delivering to government well-equipped, combat trained land forces, and a modern Navy and Air Force.
Also underway is a programme of work to address the backlog in minor capital projects in infrastructure and equipment. A real estate strategy is being developed to inform infrastructure decisions.
Organisational capability has also been strengthened.
In 2005, the Government announced the Defence Sustainability Initiative (DSI) and Defence Funding Package (DFP) of $4.6 billion spread over 10 years. We have made significant progress during the year on implementing the outcomes of this package. This has included important organisational changes required to improve governance and management.
During the year, the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) developed and launched an enterprise-level Strategic Plan. This plan provides guidance for all subordinate strategic planning, annual planning and budgeting. It sits within the wider architecture of the Defence Planning Framework, and introduces a new NZDF Balanced Score Card for corporate level monitoring and reporting of progress against strategic objectives.
The Army Configuration Review (ACR) has been completed and is informing the Army Transformation Plan (ATP), which will establish how the Army should be configured to deliver the operational capability required by government policy. Other projects that came forward through the DSI are now being managed as business as usual.
The Defence Capital Asset Management Practice (DCAMP) Review, completed late last year with the Ministry of Defence (MoD), recommended a range of initiatives to provide a more effective system of strategic asset management and a higher level of asset reliability, availability, maintainability and capacity. These wide-ranging recommendations are currently being implemented through a series of projects in partnership with the MoD.
Again in conjunction with the MoD, we have reviewed and updated one of our key planning tools: Employment Contexts (ECs). These have been revised to reflect contemporary circumstances and current government policy; and provide an essential benchmark upon which to measure and report our preparedness. These changes will be incorporated into the NZDF’s 2008/09 corporate documentation.
Nevertheless, despite the good progress made, there continue to be challenges in growing our capabilities within available resources.
The NZDF is identifying and realising efficiencies in operating expenditure, and redirecting resources to high priority objectives. To this end, I have initiated the Resource Allocation and Management Programme (RAMP). This programme of work has a high priority because it will help identify innovation and efficiency initiatives, enable better linkages between the Strategic Plan and work streams, and ensure that the allocation of resources and activity, by work stream “owners”, is aligned with our strategic priorities.
The following sections outline the NZDF’s progress and activities over the past year and the opportunities that lie ahead.
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