Ministerial Briefings for the 2025 Defence Capability Plan

Additional info

The pack comprises the following documents:

1. Briefing to the Minister of Defence: Defence Capability Plan, 13 December 2023
   Key details of Annex C from this briefing are available in the Defence Policy
   Review: Future Force Design Principles 2023, available from the Ministry’s website at https://defence.govt.nz/publications/defence-policy-review-future-force-design-principles-2023/ 
2. Defence Capability Plan: Timing Options [MOD 02-2024]
3. Briefing to the Minister of Defence: Defence Capability Plan, February 2024 [MOD 22-2024]
4. Aide Memoire: Defence Capability Plan: Ministerial Meetings, 17 September 2024 [MOD 139-2024]
5. Aide Memoire: Defence Capability Plan: Engagement with Minister of Finance, 8 October 2024 [MOD 159-2024]
6. Aide-Mémoire: Defence Capability Plan 2024 – Paper One – Strategic Context and Framework, 4 November 2024 [MOD 169-2024]
7. Aide Memoire: Defence Spend as a Percentage of GDP, 9 February 2025 [MOD 19-2025]
8. Aide-Mémoire: Defence Capability Plan 2025 – Public Version [MOD 37- 2025], 10 March 2025
9. Aide-Mémoire: Meeting with Associate Minister of Defence Hon Chris Penk on Defence Capability Plan 2025, 2 April 2025 [MOD 68-2025]
10. Aide-Mémoire: Defence Capability Plan 2025, 7 April 2025 [MOD 68-2025]

The 2025 Defence Capability Plan is available at: https://defence.govt.nz/publications/2025-defence-capability-plan/.

Two associated Cabinet papers and minutes regarding the 2025 Defence Capability Plan are available at the following links:

• Defence Capability Plan 2024: Strategic Context and Framework  https://www.defence.govt.nz/publications/defence-capability-plan-2024-strategic-context-and-framework/  

• Defence Capability Plan 2025: Public Release, Defence Industry and Communications https://www.defence.govt.nz/publications/defence-capability-plan-2025-public-release-defence-industry-and-communications/.

It has been necessary to withhold certain information from the attached publication, in accordance with the following provisions of the Official Information Act 1982. Where information is withheld, the relevant sections of the Act are indicated in the body of the document. 

Information is withheld where making it available would be likely to prejudice:

• national security information and information that would impact the international relations of the Government of New Zealand [s6(a)]

• information provided by other Governments with an expectation that it would be protected [s6(b)(i)].

Information is also withheld in order to:

• maintain the confidentiality of advice tendered by Ministers of the Crown and officials [s9(2)(f)(iv)]

• maintain the effective conduct of public affairs through the free and frank advice provided by Defence [s9(2)(g)(i)]

• enable a Minister of the Crown or any department or organisation holding the information to carry on, without prejudice or disadvantage, negotiations (including commercial and industrial negotiations) [s9(2)(j)].

Where information has been withheld in accordance with section 9(2) of the Act, no public interest has been identified that would outweigh the reasons for withholding it.