NZ Defence Policy

• Major projects

Within this section

• Key elements of the Government's Defence Policy Framework
• Strategic background to defence policy
• Key defence policy objectives
• Rebuilding New Zealand's Defence Force
• A sustainable defence force for New Zealand
• Defence Long-Term Development Plan (LTDP)

Related documents

Defence Long-Term Development Plan (LTDP)(October 2006 - Update)

Government's Defence Policy Framework(June 2000)

A Modern, Sustainable Defence Force Matched to New Zealand's Needs(May 2001)

New Zealand Defence Policy

Defence Policy Framework

The Government's Defence Policy Framework, released in June 2000, is the over-arching strategic guidance for defence policy.

Key elements of the Government's Defence Policy Framework

• New Zealand's defence and security policies will be based on its own assessment of the security environment and the actions it considers to be in New Zealand's best interests.
• Defence is one aspect of New Zealand's foreign and security policy. The Government believes that a comprehensive approach to security is the best way to protect New Zealand's interests and to promote regional stability and global peace.
• The primary reason for maintaining a defence force is to secure New Zealand against external threats, to protect our sovereign interests, and to be able to take action to meet likely contingencies in our strategic area of interest.
• New Zealand will work collaboratively with like-minded partners. In this context, there is no strategic partnership closer than that with Australia. New Zealand will continue to meet its obligations as a member of the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA).
• New Zealand has special obligations to Pacific neighbours to assist in maintaining peace, preserving the environment, promoting good governance and helping achieve economic well being. New Zealand wants a secure neighbourhood and must work towards that.
• Peace support operations are important for maintaining security and stability. New Zealand will make as full a contribution to such actions as is reasonably possible. New Zealand's global engagement will be based on active support for, and participation in, UN and appropriate multinational peace support operations.
• The Government will continue to maintain a nuclear free New Zealand and protect the integrity of its nuclear free policy. It will also promote a nuclear free South Pacific.
• Except as part of peace support operations, New Zealand will not engage in military cooperation or exercises with the armed forces of states which sanction the use of their armed forces to suppress human rights.
• Effective contributions will be made by the New Zealand Defence Force through the three single services working together (jointness).
• Defence funding will be carefully targeted according to clear priorities.

Key defence policy objectives

The following five objectives are the basis for the roles and tasks the Government has established for the New Zealand Defence Force.

1. To defend New Zealand and to protect its people, land, territorial waters, exclusive economic zone (EEZ), natural resources and critical infrastructure.
2. To meet New Zealand's alliance commitments to Australia by maintaining a close defence partnership in pursuit of common security interests.
3. To assist in the maintenance of security in the South Pacific and to provide assistance to New Zealand's Pacific neighbours.
4. To play an appropriate role in the maintenance of security in the Asia-Pacific region, including meeting New Zealand's obligations as a member of the FPDA.
5. To contribute to global security and peacekeeping through participation in the full range of UN and other appropriate multilateral peace support and humanitarian relief options.

Rebuilding New Zealand's Defence Force

The Government's Defence Policy Framework outlines the way in which the Government wants to shape and rebuild the Defence Force and the seven principles that will guide this. They are that the Defence Force will be:

1. Equipped and trained for combat and peacekeeping
   In order to fulfil the key tasks the Government envisages for the NZDF, it must be appropriately equipped and trained for both combat and peacekeeping.
2. Deployable
   Being able to bring forces to bear when they are most needed is dependent on deployability. This is of particular concern to New Zealand. To be able to deploy and sustain our forces, particularly over large distances, requires a flexible and adaptable mix of air and sea transport.
3. Able to operate alongside other forces
   Exercising bilaterally with Australia and multilaterally through the FPDA builds up the NZDF's ability to operate with other forces.
4. Held at appropriate levels of readiness
   The NZDF will be equipped and trained at appropriate levels of readiness.
5. Sustainable
   Deployments may be for long periods and involve rotation of personnel and equipment. NZDF resources will be managed to ensure that commitments can be sustained.
6. Up to date in technology and doctrine
   It is essential that the NZDF keep abreast of technological and other changes in military operations - to retain operational effectiveness. The costs these developments pose are a considerable challenge for small countries like New Zealand. The Government believes that a programme of progressively introducing new technology can help meet this challenge, but consideration will also need to be given to retaining a lesser range of capabilities.
7. Fiscally sustainable
   The Government wants to ensure that our defence dollars are spent wisely. We will focus our rebuilding efforts in areas of most urgent need.

Strategic and international background to defence policy

The following documents complement the Defence Policy Framework, providing the strategic and international background to New Zealand's defence policy.

• The External Assessment Bureau's Strategic Assessment 2000 (updated in 2001).
• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade's New Zealand's Foreign and Security Policy Challenges.

These papers identify and assess the key features and trends of New Zealand's security environment and outline the security and foreign policy challenges for New Zealand in the Asia-Pacific region and further afield.

A sustainable defence force for New Zealand

The Government's May 2001 Defence statement titled A Modern, Sustainable Defence Force Matched to New Zealand's Needs outlines how the New Zealand Defence Force is to be reconfigured so that it is:

• Sustainable and affordable over the long-term.
• Able to both meet New Zealand's own defence and security needs, and make a useful contribution when it is deployed.

The statement describes the key components of the NZDF as:

• A joint approach to the structure and operational orientation of the New Zealand Defence Force.
• The modernisation of the Army.
• Providing for a practical Navy that is better matched to New Zealand's wider security needs.
• The refocusing and updating of the Air Force.
• Providing a funding commitment so that the New Zealand Defence Force has funding certainty.

Defence Long-Term Development Plan (LTDP)

Released on 11 June 2002, the LTDP is a planning tool to enable decisions on defence acquisitions to be taken in the context of:

• Current defence policy.
• The priority of projects.
• Affordability.

The LTDP links defence policy objectives with the capability requirements announced in the 8 May 2001 defence statement. The LTDP contains a comprehensive list of major projects (over $7 million), with preliminary costing, timings, and priorities. The LTDP also sets out planning and decision-making processes incorporating management of both operational and financial risks to ensure that investment in defence provides best value for money. It is updated regularly, most recently in October 2006.