Reports and Publications

• Marine Forces Review
  • Contents
  • Summary
  • Policy Requirements
  • Shaping Factors
  • Requirements of the Navy
  • Gap Analysis
  • Capability Requirements to Meet Policy Gaps
  • Fleet Composition Option for the Royal New Zealand Navy
  • Implications
  • The Way Ahead
  • Glossary
  • Annex A - Terms of Reference

Maritime Forces Review

Policy requirements

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1. The Government’s policy requirements of the Navy are based on three major policy statements that clearly set out the roles and tasks for New Zealand’s naval fleet.
   • The Government’s Defence Policy Framework, June 2000.
   • New Zealand’s Foreign and Security Policy Challenges, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, June 2000.
   • A Modern, Sustainable Defence Force Matched to New Zealand’s Needs, 8 May 2001.
2. These requirements set out the need for a practical Navy with ships and people that can:
   • Conduct maritime surveillance in the New Zealand EEZ, Southern Ocean and South Pacific, in conjunction with maritime air patrol assets;
   • Carry out tasks such as search and rescue and disaster relief;
   • Deter illegal activity around New Zealand, in the Southern Ocean and the South Pacific, and enforce national and international law if necessary;
   • Be interoperable with the Australian Defence Force, able to meet our alliance commitments with Australia, and contribute to our shared security interests;
   • Contribute to development assistance activity in the South Pacific;
   • Conduct crisis response operations in the South Pacific, including humanitarian and disaster relief operations, peacekeeping and evacuations of New Zealanders and other expatriates;
   • Meet our FPDA obligations;
   • Contribute to UN and other multilateral peace support operations. This means the Navy must be trained and equipped for combat and be able to support land force operations; and
   • Provide a physical demonstration of New Zealand’s commitment to regional and global security through ship visits, training and exercises with other countries.
3. New Zealand’s strategic environment is such that there is no obvious direct military threat to New Zealand. But there is growing pressure from non-traditional threats, especially in New Zealand’s maritime environment, including the Southern Ocean. As a nation dependent on trade, New Zealand needs to be able to respond to those threats. It needs to be able to support its objectives for a stable and prosperous South Pacific, to work closely with Australia, to participate appropriately in Southeast Asia, particularly the FPDA and to be able to take part in UN and other multinational peace support operations. Ship visits, training and exercises are an important element in consolidating existing defence relationships and developing new ones. Through the presence and engagement of New Zealand’s maritime assets including ship visits a range of non-military national interests are served, and relationships are reinforced in ways that have real practical benefits.

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