New Zealand Army

www.army.mil.nz

Ngati Tumatauenga

The New Zealand Army belongs to the New Zealand people and serves their government here and overseas as a core element of the NZDF. The Army is a specific solution to New Zealand’s unique security requirements and is combat-ready and equipped to take whatever action is needed, including fighting on behalf of New Zealanders.

Agile, responsive and highly regarded for its work across the spectrum of operations, the Army provides a wide range of options at short notice to Government. These range from collective combat or peace support operations with Allies, low-level emergencies in New Zealand’s area of interest, to supporting the Police and emergency services. These options may include the deployment of individuals, small groups of specialists, Special Forces and units up to a combined-arms Battalion Group anywhere in the world.

The Army values its people, providing world-class education, training and leadership to provide skills for life, and succeeds through discipline, experience, training, teamwork and living its ethos and values. The Army treasures its unique bicultural heritage, iwi status and evolving warrior culture.

Organisation

In order to meet a wide spectrum of military operational requirements, the Army is organised around a structure of two Regular Force (RF) infantry battalions with other Combat, Combat Support, Combat Services Support and Special Forces components that train within a composite RF and Territorial Force (TF) brigade structure.

The Army comprises of Army General Staff and Base Logistics support elements (Wellington), the 2nd Land Force Group (Linton), the 3rd Land Force Group (Burnham), the Army Training Group (Waiouru) and the 1st New Zealand Special Air Service Group (Papakura).

Army General Staff consists of the Office of the Deputy Chief of Army who is responsible for Training Commitments, Capability, and Human Resources, the General Manager Corporate Support who is responsible for Corporate Services and Support, Logistics Executive and the NZ Army Reputation Cell, and the Office of Strategic Management. These functional areas assist the Chief of Army (CA) to raise, train and sustain Army force elements for deployment. CA commands the Army through the Land Component Commander (LCC) and the Commander of the Army Training Group (Comd ATG). The LCC, based in the Headquarters Joint Forces New Zealand at Trentham, is responsible for the day-to-day command and management of all Army elements except ATG. Also located in Trentham are the main base logistics support facilities, the Force Military Police Company, 1st New Zealand Military Intelligence Company and the Headquarters of the Military Studies Institute.

Headquarters 2nd Land Force Group (HQ 2LFG) in Linton commands most of the units that provide the deployable RF force elements, including 1st Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (infantry), 2 Signal Squadron (communications), 16 Field Regiment (artillery), 2 Engineer Regiment (engineers), 2 Logistic Battalion (logistics), and 2 Health Services Battalion (Medical and health support). In addition, HQ 2LFG commands the North Island TF Battalion Groups located in Auckland, Tauranga, Napier and Wanganui.

Headquarters 3rd Land Force Group in Burnham commands all RF and TF units in the South Island. These include a 2nd/1st Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (infantry), Queen Alexandra’s Mounted Rifles (armoured reconnaissance squadron), 3 Logistic Battalion (logistics), 3 Signal Squadron (communications), and other minor support and training units as well as the two South Island TF Battalion Groups headquartered in Christchurch and Dunedin.

Army Training Group (ATG), is responsible for all formal individual training of the Army. The ATG Training area is located on the North Island central plateau and is the largest training area available for individual and collective training, and live field firing. HQ ATG commands The Waiouru Training Depot (Recruit and Non-Commissioned Officer individual training), the Officer Cadet School and the Land Operations Training Centre, which conducts specialised individual training for each branch of the Army.

1st New Zealand Special Air Service Group (1 NZSAS Gp) is located in Auckland. This unit provides the Special Forces required to support conventional operations overseas and the Counter-Terrorist Group (CTG).

Output and Outcomes

Throughout the year Army has continued to raise and train individuals and collective land force elements in order to meet directed levels of capability and sustain operations. Specific operational achievements in support of the Defence Intermediate Outcomes were as follows:

Intermediate Outcome 1: Secure New Zealand

• Protected from Terrorism – All Army force elements maintained a capability to deter and respond to acts of terrorism, sabotage and asymmetric attacks on New Zealand territory. Specific capabilities included command and control, intelligence, and Specialised Forces.
• Protected from Transnational Illegal Activities – All Army force elements maintained a capability to assist with incursions into and through New Zealand’s EEZ and other areas within New Zealand’s jurisdiction, and illegal incursions into South Pacific Islands EEZs and territories.
• Protected Persons and Infrastructure from Civil Instability and Disasters – All Army Force Elements maintained a capability to assist with disruptions to essential services and disasters affecting New Zealand and disasters and challenges to legitimate governments within the South Pacific.

Intermediate Outcome 2: Reduced Risks from Regional and Global Insecurity

A Secure, Peaceful and Stable Australia

• The NZ Army participated in Exercise Tasman Reserve. This is a reciprocal and concurrent exchange between a New Zealand Army Territorial Force (TF) sub unit and an Australian Defence Force Army Reserve (GRes) sub unit. The deployment is for a maximum of 120 personnel for up to a maximum of two weeks. The 2007 exercise saw the Australia to New Zealand component hosted by 2LFG in Waiouru and Wanganui, over the period 10–23 February 07 and incorporated into the major TF Exercise of the year, Exercise Northern Kiwi.

A Secure, Peaceful and Stable South Pacific

• 2/1 RNZIR and the Territorial Force have deployed to the Solomon Islands in order to provide security and stability.
• Exercise Tropic Wing is an annual 1 NZSAS Gp close country exercise conducted in a tropical environment with emphasis placed on the projection of a Special Forces Force Element into the South West Pacific. Due to the current political situation in the South Pacific region and the non-availability of suitable jungle training areas, 1 NZSAS Gp deployed 52 personnel to Brunei over the period 17 April – 21 May 07 to conduct tropical training in a close country environment and to also reinforce New Zealand’s defence relations with Brunei.

A Secure and Stable Asia-Pacific Region

Two companies from 2nd/1st Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (2/1 RNZIR) and one company from the 1 RNZIR deployed to Timor Leste in order to provide security and stability.

• Exercise Kiwi Spirit (Ex KS) is a biennial and reciprocal Divisional Command Post Exercise (CPX) to which New Zealand deployed a Brigade headquarters and war-gaming staff. Ex KS 06 was conducted in Singapore over the period 1 – 18 August 06. 2 LFG provided a Brigade headquarters of 120 personnel to participate in Ex KS 06, in order to practice joint and combined operations at formation level and higher in the form of a simulated assisted CPX.
• Exercise Taiaha Tombak is a biennial sub unit exchange for a maximum of 120 personnel between the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) and the NZ Army. Exercise Taiaha Tombak 06 occurred over the period 23 August – 19 September 06 in the Northern Region of Malaysia (Penang) with a NZ Light Infantry Company from 2/1 RNZIR deploying from New Zealand to Malaysia.
• Exercise Thunder Warrior (TW) is a unilateral field training activity, conducted in New Zealand by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Army Artillery units on an annual basis. TW 07 was a SAF battalion sized deployment comprising 494 personnel and was conducted over the period 11 December 06 – 10 February 07, with the SAF contingent being based in Waiouru Military Camp. New Zealand Defence Force participation in Ex TW 07 included support from Army including 2LFG and 16 Fd Regt and support from New Zealand Defence Force and ATG.

A More Secure and Stable World

• 1st Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (1 RNZIR) and 16 Field Regiment (16 Fd Regt) provided the basis of the Army contribution to the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan.
• Continued support to a major operational commitment in Sinai Peninsula and also support to smaller commitments that were maintained in support of UN and other coalition operations around the world.
• Cambrian Patrol (CP) is a patrolling concentration conducted annually by the British Army. Teams comprise of nine individuals, as well as a non-participating patrol manager, and the event is open to foreign participation. The aim of Cambrian Patrol is to provide a challenging patrols exercise in order to develop operational capability. Army deployed a contingent of two teams to participate in CP 06 over the period 23 October – 12 November 06.

Capabilities Delivered

The Very Low Level Air Defence Alert and Cueing System (VACS) and the total Very Low Level Air Defence System (VLLADS) are technically advanced equipment that requires soldiers with a high degree of mental agility to operate successfully. The VACS completes the VLLADS project and provides a world class ground based very low level air defence capability that is able to provide New Zealand soldiers with a robust force protection against aerial threats as well as providing New Zealand with the ability to integrate this system with our allies in a coalition environment.

The system underwent factory acceptance testing and was delivered in October 2006. There was a successful delivery site acceptance testing and contractor supplied training in November – December 2006. The system is expected to achieve its Directed level of Capability in December 2007.

The system comprises:

• 2 x Raven Radar Units (including Identification Friend or Foe capability).
• 7 x Remote Weapon Display units.
• 1 x Command and Control system (fitted into NZ Army In-Service Shelter by contractor).
• Associated buy of 7 x Identification Friend or Foe units for Weapon Launcher (including 2 x spares).

Future Direction

The immediate future of the Army remains focused on the provision of effective land force elements for contribution to operations. Whilst supporting these operations, Army will continue the transformation and generate effective operational units. In the long term this will produce an Army that is:

• Optimised for close combat in complex predominantly urbanised terrain, as part of a joint inter-agency task force.
• Capable of adapting to the full range of employment contingencies.
• Modular and flexible in structure.
• Applying a command philosophy and training and education systems that empowers junior leaders for complex and unpredictable tasks.

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