Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee leaves today for an official visit to China.
“The New Zealand – China defence relationship has grown in recent years, and I look forward to engaging with representatives of the Chinese military on how that might continue,” Mr Brownlee says.
“I also look forward to gaining a greater understanding of China’s views on a number of regional and global issues.”
Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee and his Australian counterpart the Hon Kevin Andrews MP met in Auckland today for the annual Australia-New Zealand Defence Ministers’ Meeting.
“It has been my great pleasure to host Kevin Andrews today,” Mr Brownlee says.
“In this centenary of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps fighting side-by-side on the battlefield at Gallipoli, the defence relationship remains as important as ever.
Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee will host Australian Defence Minister Hon Kevin Andrews in Auckland tomorrow for the annual Australia New Zealand Defence Ministers’ Meeting.
The Ministers will discuss a range of regional and international security issues, including our respective responses to the fight against Da’esh and future capability projects. Wider programme events include a tour of the military base at Devonport.
“I am looking forward to talking with Minister Andrews on a number of important, topical issues,” Mr Brownlee says.
Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee today announced the appointment of new Chiefs of the New Zealand Army and the Royal New Zealand Navy.
The new Chief of Army will be Peter Kelly, who is currently a Brigadier and is acting Chief of Army.
He will formally take up his new responsibilities at a handover event at Waiouru on 10 September, and will be promoted to Major General.
Brigadier Kelly takes over from Major-General Dave Gawn, who was recently appointed Head of Mission and Chief of Staff to the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation.
Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee and Foreign Minister Murray McCully today announced that this year’s Tropic twilight Exercise will be conducted in the northern Cook Islands atolls of Penrhyn and Manihiki.
“Tropic Twilight is a regular joint exercise in the Pacific involving the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), and other countries with an interest in the region,” Mr Brownlee says.
Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee has paid tribute to Major General Louis Gardiner, who died on Saturday.
Major General (Rtd) Gardiner was Chief of Army from 2006 to 2009, and held other significant New Zealand Defence Force roles including Commander Joint Forces, New Zealand Defence Adviser to Australia and Land Component Commander.
Mr Brownlee says Major General Gardiner, who was an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, is a loss to his country as well as his many friends, colleagues and family.
The Commander of United States Pacific Command, Admiral Harry B. Harris, will visit New Zealand this week and hold talks with the Government and senior Defence officials.
Admiral Harris flies into Wellington on a US military aircraft today and will hold talks with Prime Minister John Key, Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee, and Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully later this afternoon.
“The Government is pleased to host Admiral Harris on his visit to New Zealand,” Mr Brownlee says.
Senior Iraqi officials have conveyed thanks to Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee for New Zealand’s deployment of military personnel to help build the capacity of the Iraqi security forces.
Mr Brownlee has just left Iraq after visiting New Zealand personnel on the Building Partner Capacity mission in Taji.
“Our soldiers are in very high spirits,” Mr Brownlee says.
“They are highly professional and strongly committed to their mission, which is to provide training.
Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee and his counterpart the Rt Hon Michael Fallon, Secretary of State for Defence, have signed a joint statement on defence cooperation between the United Kingdom and New Zealand at the Shangri La Dialogue in Singapore. The statement reflects findings from a review of the defence relationship.
“The joint statement reflects the depth and significance of the defence relationship between our two countries,” Mr Brownlee says.
Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee leaves today for Singapore to join his counterparts at the 14th annual Shangri-La Dialogue.
“The Shangri-La Dialogue is a major regional security-focused meeting, bringing together Defence Ministers from around the Asia-Pacific,” Mr Brownlee says.
As well as attending dialogue sessions, the Minister will hold a number of bilateral meetings with counterparts from a range of countries, including Singapore, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, Japan and the United States of America.
New operating funding of $264 million over four years for the New Zealand Defence Force continues the Government’s commitment to deliver long-term funding certainty to our armed forces.
“Budget 2015 confirms that investment in the New Zealand Defence Force remains a priority,” Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee says.
The Defence Mid-Point Rebalancing Review (DMRR) in 2013 considered and valued defence priorities and costed all elements of defence capability out to 2029/30.
Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee has today announced the appointment of the independent panel which will advise him on the Defence White Paper 2015.
This follows the announcement on 5 May that the public would have the opportunity to provide their views on the White Paper.
The four members of the Panel are:
Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee welcomes the beginning of the public consultation process for the 2015 Defence White Paper, calling for New Zealanders to seize this opportunity to influence defence policy.
The White Paper, which is intended to be published before the end of the year, will be the blueprint for how the Government plans to address the security threats, challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand over the next 25 years.
Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee leaves today for Belgium, where he will be New Zealand’s official representative at Anzac Day commemorations.
Mr Brownlee will attend a number of commemorative services at key Western Front sites in Flanders.
“A century on from the Gallipoli landings, it is important to continue to remember and reflect on the enormous sacrifices Australia and New Zealand made at Gallipoli and across other battlefields in the First World War,” Mr Brownlee says.
The New Zealand Defence Force’s commitment of mentors and support staff to the Afghan National Army Officer Academy in Afghanistan has been extended out to December 2016, Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee says.
“Since late 2013 New Zealand has contributed five mentors and three support staff to the academy to assist in building the capacity of the Afghan National Army.
Foreign Minister Murray McCully and Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee have announced that the HMNZS Canterbury will be sent to Vanuatu to support the recovery effort following Cyclone Pam.
“HMNZS Canterbury will depart for Vanuatu as soon as possible carrying personnel, heavy engineering equipment and other supplies to support the recovery effort,” Mr McCully says.
Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee says the New Zealand Defence Force will deploy a non-combat training mission to Iraq to build the capacity of the Iraqi security forces to combat ISIL.
This is likely to be a joint mission with the Australian Defence Force.
“Up to 143 NZDF personnel have been approved by Cabinet to deploy on a training mission, with the main body likely to deploy in May,” Mr Brownlee says.
Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee will meet today with his recently appointed Australian counterpart the Hon Kevin Andrews, in Melbourne.
Mr Brownlee says the meeting is timely given the upcoming commemoration of the Gallipoli centenary, and the ongoing centennial commemorations of World War One.
The Ministers will also discuss a range of regional and international security issues, including our respective responses to the fight against ISIL and future defence capability projects.
A Royal Australian Air Force C17 Globemaster aircraft will deliver almost 50 tonnes of sandstone to Wellington today to progress construction of the Australian World War One memorial to be located in Pukeahu National War Memorial Park.
The memorial will feature 15 sandstone columns, symbolic of the country’s Red Centre, surrounded by eucalyptus trees representing the Australian landscape.
Australia’s A$5 million memorial is a reciprocal gesture to the New Zealand memorial built on ANZAC Parade in Canberra and is funded by the Australian Government.
Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee has granted permission for the New Zealand Defence Force to undertake specific contingency training for a possible deployment to Iraq.
The training will take place at Linton and Waiouru.
“Cabinet agreed on 3 November 2014 for up to 10 military planners to be deployed to determine whether New Zealand could play a role in helping the Iraqi Defence Force build capacity to fight ISIL,” Mr Brownlee says.
New Zealand Defence Force co-operation with Fiji’s military forces will formally resume this weekend, Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee announced today.
Mr Brownlee said that following Fiji’s elections in September last year, Cabinet decided to lift the remaining targeted measures which have been in place since 2006.
“Removing these last constraints allows the Defence Force to rebuild co-operation and engagement with its Fijian counterparts,” Mr Brownlee says.
Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee says ill-informed criticism of the Royal New Zealand Navy’s operation involving illegal fishing in the Southern Ocean ignores the success of the operation.
“The offshore patrol vessel Wellington and its crew have done a very good job in very challenging conditions in the Southern Ocean.
“They have successfully located, tracked and intercepted these vessels, and obtained the necessary evidence and documentation to enable further enforcement steps to be taken by the appropriate authorities.
The NZ Defence Force has had a busy year participating in exercises, operations, national and international commemorations, and personnel can be proud of all they’ve achieved, Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee says.
“This year more than 500 personnel have deployed on operations and exercises around the world from Antarctica to Canada, Malaysia and Singapore.
