DEFENCE
What direction now for New Zealand Defence Policy and Capability? With no new defence white paper in sight, in a world marked by Russian aggression in Europe and Chinese influence in the Pacific, Dr Peter Greener asks what is the direction for New Zealand defence policy and capability?
Dr Greener is a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Strategic Studies at Victoria University Wellington, and an Honorary Professor – and previously Academic Dean – at the Command and Staff College of the New Zealand Defence Force.
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In March 2022, the Report of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee on the 2020/21 Annual Review of the Ministry of Defence and the NZDF, noted in the section headed ‘Strategic competition and co-operation in the Pacific’ that, “We heard that there will not be a white paper in 2022. However, Defence will be recommending to Ministers terms of reference that look at the development of defence policy settings in a more proactive approach, and the force structure that would support those settings.” Last month I asked the following question in an earlier version of this article published on Incline: “Does this mean that there might be a new white paper in 2023, will we see another government defence policy statement, or will there be a revised defence capability plan?” Shortly after going to press, the Minister of Defence Peeni Henare answered the question unequivocally in an article published on Friday 27 May on Stuff, where Thomas Manch noted that, “Henare said there would be no new Labour Government defence capability plan.” This article then asks the question: What will the future direction be for New Zealand defence policy and capability? The Ministry of Defence website notes that Defence policy settings in New Zealand are reviewed on
a regular basis, and that, “The results of these reviews, Defence White Papers and Strategic Defence Policy Statements, are the highestlevel expression of Government’s Defence policy settings.” It notes that, “these policy documents will present an assessment of New Zealand’s strategic environment and set out at a high level the range of activities the New Zealand Defence Force must be prepared to undertake” before adding that, “The most recent formal expression of New Zealand’s Defence policy is the Strategic Defence Policy Statement 2018,” which was released by the Labour-led Coalition Government. Unlike a white paper, the Strategic Defence Policy Statement 2018 (SDPS), although describing capability needs in general terms, did not set out in any detail the necessary mix of capabilities that the Defence Force would require. It did, however, make the point that, “Cabinet will decide on replacing the Defence Force’s P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft capability.” In the same month that the SDPS was released, July 2018, the Government took the opportunity to approve the acquisition of four Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft to replace the Orions. The total estimated cost for the project was $2.346 billion. Line of Defence
