Closer relationship for NZ and Aust militaries

New Zealanders and Australians have a long history of uniting against common enemies and on peacekeeping missions. Photo / Australian Defence Force

CANBERRA - New Zealand and Australia will draw into a much closer defence relationship in a bid to deal with emerging crises in the Pacific.

Defence Minister Wayne Mapp has already held discussions with transtasman counterpart Joel Fitzgibbon on moves that Australia's new defence white paper says should integrate the two militaries "in the Anzac tradition".

The white paper says yet-to-be defined proposals could be as ambitious as an Anzac task force capable of deploying "seamlessly" at short notice into the immediate region.

Canberra will be consulted on potential to tighten the already-close relationship in the drafting of Wellington's present defence review, due to be released early next year.

"I expect a collaborative approach," Dr Mapp said yesterday.

Early proposals suggest far greater use of each other's equipment and capabilities - especially in areas such as transport and logistics - and increased integration of planning and tasking within the region.

Canberra also regards intelligence links with New Zealand as vital, and expects these to "deepen and evolve".

The two countries are already tied through the closer defence relations arrangement launched in 1991, which includes close ties between the two defence headquarters, logistics and other arrangements, frequent exercises, and operations in East Timor, Solomons and Tonga.

Although with some differences, the two forces share equipment such as infantry weapons, armoured vehicles and the Anzac frigates.

The Australians have used the replenishment ship HMNZS Endeavour and RNZAF Hercules and Boeing B-757 transports, and NZ has recently flown equipment overseas on Australia's giant C-17 Globemasters.

While Australia has been disturbed by New Zealand's level of defence spending and by decisions such as the scrapping of the RNZAF's combat force, it wants to tighten co-operation in an increasingly unstable region.

"Unfortunately, many South Pacific island states and East Timor will continue to be beset by some degree of economic stagnation and political and social instability," the white paper says. "Weak governance, crime and social challenges will continue to jeopardise economic development and community resilience, against a background of climate change ... and more frequent natural disasters."

Even with the planned expansion of its military outlined in the white paper, Australia's defence forces will remain stretched in such areas as transport and infantry.

The paper says Australia and NZ need to continue to align their approaches to defence relations, capacity-building and "preventative diplomacy".

"But we must also plan together on the basis that our combined operations in pursuit of our common security interests, as has occurred over recent years, are the norm," it says.

"It is therefore critical that our two defence forces maximise interoperability and align our operational planning, logistics, communications, capability development and procurement activities to the maximum extent practicable."

Although not commenting on New Zealand's lower spending and less sophisticated systems, the white paper warns that the two defence forces will be pressed to maintain their ability to operate together as Australia significantly upgrades its forces.

"With this in mind, Australia and New Zealand should look for opportunities to rebuild our historical capability to integrate ... force elements in the Anzac tradition."

Neither country intends a significant merging of the two defence forces. Canberra said any integration would not prejudice either country's policy choices, and Dr Mapp said neither would want any loss of independence.

He said an example of possible arrangements was intervention in East Timor, which was led by an Australian general with a NZ second-in-command.

New Zealand led the 2006 Anzac intervention in Tonga.

Dr Mapp said further operations in this region would be led together by Australia and New Zealand, and that the two countries needed to be more complementary in their thinking and planning to maximise their capabilities in the region.

ANZAC FUTURE

* Areas of co-operation mentioned in the white paper:
* Transport and logistics.
* Operational planning and communications.
* Capability development and buying equipment.
* Ultimately developing an Anzac task force for rapid deployment.