Editorial: NZ not immune to hardening security trends

A family walks amid destroyed Russian tanks in Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine. Photo / AP

Editorial

Hypersonic missiles have for some time represented a futuristic, space-conflict vision of warfare in the public imagination.

It's one of those breakthrough weaponry systems that major powers spend a great deal of money on while the planet itself is under threat.

The United States, Russia, and China have been focused on the idea because hypersonic missiles are so fast they can't be stopped by current anti-missile air defence.

Russia has reportedly used hypersonic missiles in Ukraine.

Suddenly, these weapons have also come to New Zealand's neighbourhood with the news that Australia, through its Aukus security alliance with the United States and United Kingdom, will be involved in developing them. North Korea also has them.

A joint statement said the three allies would "commence new trilateral co-operation on hypersonics and counter-hypersonics, and electronic warfare capabilities, as well as to expand information sharing and to deepen cooperation on defence innovation".

That means not just hypersonic missiles but advanced versions of anti-missile systems able to take them down.

It illustrates how the war in Ukraine and ongoing tensions with China are either turning security strategies on their heads or hardening existing trends, and New Zealand is not immune.

Aukus, only in existence since September and bringing nuclear-powered submarines to the region, and the Quad grouping of Australia, the US, India and Japan are increasingly shaping security in the Indo-Pacific. That's as western Europe attempts to bolster its military capability against Russia.

With Nato countries supplying Ukraine with weapons against Russia, the war has become a testing ground for new weapons and battle strategies.

For example, the US is sending Switchblade loitering "kamikaze" drones, which hover over a battlefield and dive-bomb targets, exploding on impact. Some countries helping Kyiv have also shifted to sending heavy armoured vehicles to Ukraine after previously ruling that out.

Here, the Government has come down heavily on the side of Ukraine over Russia's unjustified invasion in line with traditional allies.

It has imposed sanctions, is allowing some Ukrainians in, and has sent humanitarian aid and intelligence analysts, plus other items such as body armour. A political row over not sending Javelin anti-tank missiles has gained the most attention.

The Prime Minister's rejection of distinctions over lethal and non-lethal aid to Ukraine showed sensitivity to any impression New Zealand wasn't doing its bit.

It is understandable as the war is a clear-cut case of an outrageously unprovoked and brutal invasion - and that was before evidence of war-crimes were uncovered. Ukraine has a right to defend itself and the economic impact of the war has been worldwide.

Yet New Zealand's traditional focus on being careful and somewhat independent with foreign policy appears to have had a shake, especially when the Government's disapproval over the Solomon Islands' security deal with China, allowing Beijing a possible foothold there, is also considered. China has been militarising some islands in the South China Sea.

"In the big picture, it's bringing hard power strategic competition into the southwest Pacific, so that could be of concern to all peace-loving countries," defence analyst Paul Buchanan said. He also noted that Aukus would be influencing Chinese strategy.

Ukraine has been a lightbulb moment for many countries on the potential threat of authoritarian regimes should they become aggressively expansionist.

These issues will have a growing impact on our quiet and isolated corner of the globe.