CSS briefing paper:<br>Maritime Surveillance

Introduction

New Zealand's economic prosperity relies on the security and stability of our maritime area of interest. By far the greatest proportion of New Zealand's trade with the rest of the world travels by sea, so our reliance on the sea for our continuing prosperity cannot be overstated. New Zealand is responsible for the ocean approaches to New Zealand, which require regular monitoring and systematic surveillance to demonstrate New Zealand's commitment to protecting its resources. Also, New Zealand is a signatory to several conventions, which have binding obligations to maritime and aviation safety.

New Zealand's Area of Responsibility

New Zealand's maritime area of responsibility is physically large. It extends from Antarctica to north of the equator, and mid-Tasman to east of the Cook Islands. Interest in the Southern Ocean is highlighted through a claim on the Ross Dependency and Government support for the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). New Zealand is responsible for the largest search and rescue area in the world, under an international agreement that gives New Zealand responsibility for air cover in both the Nadi and Auckland regions. The Air Force Maritime Patrol Force (MPF) also regularly surveys one of the largest Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) in the world. The MPF also plays a significant part in assisting neighbouring South Pacific countries monitor their EEZs. New Zealand also has constitutional responsibilities to Niue, Tokelau and the Cook Islands. Even further afield, New Zealand has an economic interest in the security and stability of regional trade routes through Asia and the Pacific. The MPF can also be used to provide a contribution to United Nations peace support operations.


Maritime Surveillance Capability

Almost half of the Air Force MPF peacetime activities are surveillance operations conducted in the approaches to New Zealand and in the South Pacific, using the P-3 Orion. These national or sovereignty tasks include:

* Surveillance of New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
- Fisheries surveillance

- Resource management

- Marine pollution reporting

- Wildlife monitoring

- Maritime Safety

- Immigration and Customs collaboration


* Surveillance of South Pacific island nation's EEZ

* Forum Fisheries Agency contribution

* Constitutional responsibilities to Niue, Tokelau and the Cook Islands

* Search and Rescue – 24 hour coverage in Auckland and Nadi regions
- Medical evacuation

- Reconnaissance of disaster areas


* Ross Dependency Surveillance

*Closer Defence Relations (CDR) with Australia

* Five Power Defence Arrangement (FPDA)

* Peace support operations

Within the Asia and South Pacific region, only Australia and New Zealand have the airborne platform, skills and experience to field a complete maritime surveillance capability. The Orion's range, endurance and durability makes it well suited for this role. Consequently, New Zealand's MPF is highly valued in the region.

Defence Policy Framework

The Defence Policy Framework sets down five key objectives for New Zealand's defence policy. The Maritime Patrol Force contributes to all five of these objectives:

1. The defence of New Zealand and its territorial waters

2. Meeting our Closer Defence Relationship (CDR) commitments to Australia

3. Assisting with the security of the South Pacific

4. Playing an appropriate role in the maintenance of security in the Asia-Pacific region, and

5. Contributing to global security and peacekeeping.

1. The Framework gives priority to the defence of New Zealand and the protection of its people, land, territorial waters, EEZ and natural resources. The MPF contributes to this policy objective by enabling the NZDF, through a military surveillance capability, to exercise control over New Zealand's maritime environment both inside and beyond the EEZ. The MPF routinely conducts resource protection surveillance within New Zealand's EEZ, the South Pacific and Southern Ocean. A typical patrol will be tasked to cover an area of ½ million square kilometres.

The Government is developing an 'Oceans policy' to ensure New Zealand's jurisdiction, rights and responsibilities are stated in managing the resources and ecosystem of the waters and seabed of the EEZ, and the resources of the seabed of the continental shelf beyond the EEZ. The Government has agreed that maritime tasks include: surveillance for fisheries, resource management, conservation, pollution, immigration, customs, maritime safety, and search and rescue.

2. The close relationship between New Zealand and Australia and their roles as regional partners within the South pacific is well understood. The relationship recognises the expectation by Australia of New Zealand support in regional contingencies, and with it, a keen interest in our capabilities. The MPF provides one capability for meeting commitments to Australia in pursuit of common security interests. New Zealand Orions assist Australia to sustain a 24-hour surveillance capability in common areas of interest, which extend and enhances Australia's own surveillance capabilities. They therefore place considerable value on New Zealand's MPF capability.

3. In the South Pacific, New Zealand has a role in defence, resource protection, search and rescue, and disaster relief. New Zealand has a constitutional responsibility for the defence of the Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau. New Zealand also has an understanding under the FRANZ arrangement to assist with fisheries protection for the Forum Fisheries Agency. For Tokelau, the Law of the Sea Convention obligates New Zealand to undertake maritime surveillance of their EEZ. These responsibilities are undertaken by Orions on routine and emergency patrols. An important additional task of the Orions is reconnaissance missions after natural disasters.

4. The MPF provides the Government with an option to play an appropriate role in the maintenance of security in the Asia-Pacific region. Singapore and Malaysia value New Zealand's continuing contribution to the security of Southeast Asia. Defence activity in the Asia-Pacific region is based around air and maritime activity and the MPF is one of three New Zealand force elements that routinely participates in exercises. Within the Southeast Asia (and South Pacific) region only New Zealand and Australia have a complete maritime surveillance capability. Australian and New Zealand Orions therefore provide the main thrust of surveillance capabilities within the region.

5. The MPF also provides the Government with options for UN and any other appropriate multilateral operations that the Government may wish to contribute to. A maritime surveillance capability is a key element of the surveillance screen necessary for peace support operations and sanction enforcement. New Zealand's Orions can respond quickly to demonstrate an early New Zealand commitment and can quickly be extracted from an operation should circumstances warrant. Deployment of the MPF element requires a relatively small number of personnel and has low operating costs in theatre. The MPF is a capability that provides maximum operational and political impact with minimum risk.

Summary

New Zealand is a maritime nation. New Zealand's commitment to protecting its resources is demonstrated through regular monitoring and systematic surveillance – a role undertaken by the Maritime Patrol Force. With its Orion aircraft the MPF is capable of conducting surveillance, reconnaissance and force protection and provides a necessary response option for the Government.

New Zealand is also a signatory to several conventions, which have binding obligations to maritime and aviation safety. The Orions routinely perform resource protection and search and rescue tasks throughout the South Pacific, are a key element of protective operations for deployed NZDF and regional forces, and could make a significant and highly visible contribution to regional collective security efforts.