Output Expense 16

Operationally Deployed Forces

Description

The provision of deployed force elements at the Operational Level of Capability for military operations, including the commitments agreed by the Government under which the NZDF contributes to peace support and other operations conducted in support of the United Nations and other international agencies. This includes the provision of individuals, observers, advisers, instructors, headquarters staff, and complete force elements and contingents, when necessary, to operational missions, and the conduct of any additional training required to meet any special conditions or the higher threat levels anticipated.

Output Expense Components

Provide individuals, small detachments, units and equipment prepared to meet government’s agreed commitments to operational missions.

Note: Brief histories of New Zealand’s current government–approved contribution to the various operational missions are shown at pp 148 – 151 of the 2007 NZDF Statement of Intent.

Overview

Operational deployments directed by the Government require input from all three Services. Operational Command of these forces is assigned to Commander Joint Forces New Zealand for military operations and for mutually agreed Joint (more than one Service) and Combined (more than one Nation) training. New Zealand currently contributes to a wide range of peace support activities and military operations under Output Expense 16 (as described in the following pages). Headquarters Joint Forces New Zealand facilitates the planning, command and conduct of these operations, along with the provision of operational support to other government departments such as the New Zealand Customs Service, the Department of Conservation, NZ Police, and the Ministry of Fisheries.

Highlights

• Planning, deployment and the rotation of force elements in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, operations in Timor–Leste and Solomon Islands as well as various smaller missions, including:
• Operation Lima. 10 NZDF personnel were deployed in February 2007 to UNMACC–SL as an Explosive Remnants of War Disposal (ERWD) Team and were based in Tyre, Southern Lebanon, where they located, mapped and destroyed unexploded ordinance. This team was withdrawn in February 2008.
• Operation Tiki III. In May 2008 the NZDF deployed HMNZS Te Mana, together with associated land–based staff in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Their role is to patrol assigned sectors in the Persian Gulf in support of Coalition Maritime Security Operations.

Performance

Output performance is measured by the degree of satisfaction expressed by the authorities requesting the assistance and within budget. The key measurement elements are: complete satisfaction with the performance of duties throughout the deployment; satisfactory performance of equipment provided by the NZDF, when applicable; and budget considerations. The performance measures are: the evaluation of reports from the host organisation; the evaluation of reports from the senior “in–theatre” NZDF commander; the evaluation of reports from visiting NZ politicians and NZDF staff; the level of capability achieved by individuals, detachments or units prior to departure is assessed by the designated Operational Commander; and each deployment is to be completed within a Cabinet–approved budget.

Quantity

Targets

Maintain the commitments specified by Government in its approval for each task/mission/operation.

As at 1 April 2007, actual commitments included:

• OP KORU – All Task Groups (Timor–Leste) 151
• UNTSO (Middle East) [OP SCORIA] 8
• MFO (Sinai) [OP FARAD] 26
• EUFOR (Bosnia) [OP STANDARD] 3
• EUFOR (Bosnia) [OP FORD] 8
• UNMIK (Kosovo) [OP KOSTER] 1
• UNAMI (Iraq) [OP HAVEN, Task Group IRON] 1
• OP ARIKI (Afghanistan) [Task Group CRIBB] 107
• OP ARIKI (Afghanistan) [Task Group KEA] 7
• OP ARIKI (Tampa, Florida, USA) [Task Group SPEAK] 3
• OP ARIKI (Afghanistan) [Task Group AFFIRM] 1
• OP ARIKI (Arabian Sea area) [Task Group TROY] 5
• OP SUDDEN (Sudan) 3
• OP RATA II (Solomon Islands) 43
• UNCMAC (Republic of Korea) [OP MONITOR] 3
• USCENTCOM Staff Officer 1
• UNMACC–SL (Southern Lebanon) [OP LIMA] 10
• Total NZDF personnel deployed 381

Performance Achieved

At the start of the reporting period (1 July 2007), 427 NZDF personnel were posted overseas on operations; by May 2008 this number had increased to 604. HMNZS Te Mana’s crew of 175, who are deployed on Operation Tiki III in the Gulf, were largely responsible for this increase. In addition to these operations, NZDF ships, aircraft and military units have routinely been deployed in the Asia/Pacific region for training exercises, patrols and surveillance support to Pacific nations, which have seen up to an additional 329 personnel deployed.

NZDF personnel served on the following missions during 2007–08:

Quality

The NZDF continues to receive positive feedback on its performance on overseas missions, including those below.

During the annual bilateral dialogue between the Ministers of Defence for New Zealand and Australia in March 2008, both Ministers highlighted the excellent interoperability between the New Zealand and Australian Defence Forces forged through successive regional deployments and regular combined exercises.

The 15–year contribution by NZDF personnel to Bosnia was officially recognised at a ceremony held in Sarajevo by the Commander of the European Union Forces (EUFOR), Rear Admiral Hans–Jochen Witthauer.

In announcing the decision in August 2007 to extend New Zealand’s commitment to the United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission (UNCMAC) in the Republic of Korea for a further two years, the Defence Minister, the Hon Phil Goff, noted that NZDF personnel serving with UNMAC, which is a multinational mission led by the United States, had earned a high degree of respect from other military personnel they served alongside from Australia, Canada, Colombia, Thailand, the Philippines, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

The valuable work the NZDF’s Provincial Reconstruction Team undertakes in Afghanistan, including supporting NZAID projects, was publicly recognised by Dr Sarabi, the Governor of Bamyan province, during a recent visit to Wellington.

The value of New Zealand’s contribution to the Multinational Force and Observers based on the Sinai Peninsula was also re–affirmed during a visit to Wellington by the Director General of the MFO Ambassador James Larocco.

In September 2007, a New Zealand Army soldier, Lance Corporal Joshua Roewen of the Royal New Zealand Army Logistics Regiment serving with the Multinational Force and Observers on the Sinai Peninsula, received a Chief of Defence Force Commendation in recognition of his courage and professionalism after an attack by a suicide bomber in Egypt.

In addition to several formal letters of appreciation received from Commanders–in–Chief regarding the NZDF contributions to OEF operations and UN missions, advice and emails received from the NZDF Liaison Officer to the United Nations indicates that the NZDF is held in very high regard as a “Troop Contributing Nation”. Letters of appreciation were received from government departments for inter–departmental support provided by the NZDF to local and overseas operations.

The performance of the NZDF against the following targets was assessed against United Nations Department of Peace Keeping Operations requirements.

Costs for Output Expense 16 (GST Exclusive)

Cost

Note, that until the start of FY 2008/09 Output Expense 16 is subject to a three–year, Multi–Year Appropriation (MYA) for funding purposes. The Government has agreed that from 2008/09 funding will change on an annual basis. The MYA table and an indicative annual breakdown of costs are included in the NZDF 2007 Statement of Intent.

Multi–Year Appropriation (MYA)

As recommended by the Defence Capability and Resourcing Review (DCARR) and under the Defence Sustainability Initiative (DSI), funding for Output Expense: Operationally Deployed Forces has been placed under a MYA. If government requires the NZDF to undertake a major operational deployment and the cost of this deployment cannot be managed within the MYA, the NZDF may request an additional appropriation from Cabinet for the incremental costs of this deployment. Any such appropriation would be additional to the DSI funding package.

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