Defence Minister Ron Mark at the range in Taji, during a visit to NZ troops training local forces in Iraq. Photo NZDF
Defence Minister Ron Mark at the range in Taji, during a visit to NZ troops training local forces in Iraq. Photo NZDF
The Defence Force has released information about the location of its deployments around the world at the request of the Government.
Its website was updated today to show where its troops were stationed, how many personnel had been deployed and the purpose of their mission.
Prime Minister JacindaArdern said it was a relatively minor disclosure by the Defence Force. But she said her Government was committed to be as open and transparent as possible about its international commitments.
"In the past information has been updated on an ad hoc basis," she said. "Now, deployment information is easier to access and consolidated in one place."
Not all information could be released to the public because of security concerns, Ardern said.
The website shows New Zealand has military commitments in Fiji, South Korea, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Egypt, South Sudan and Mali, There are also maritime operations in Southern Asia and the Arabian Gulf.
The biggest military commitment is New Zealand's deployment to Iraq, where up to 143 troops are training local forces as part of the coalition to defeat the Islamic State (ISIS).
The Defence Force will also be proactively releasing its Cabinet papers on decisions around future deployments.
Defence Minister Ron Mark also said today that New Zealand's contribution to the United Nations' South Sudan mission would be expanded by one person.
The mission is led by former Labour leader David Shearer. New Zealand troops have been deployed in Sudan since 2005, and in South Sudan since its independence in 2011, mostly to protect civilians at UN refugee sites.
