Australia, New Zealand Strengthen Military Collaboration under New Agreement
6 December, 2024 Australia and New Zealand. Illustrative photo. Photo credits: New Zealand Defence Force
The Ministers of Defense of Australia and New Zealand have signed a new Joint Statement on Closer Defense Relations. The Australian Department of Defense released the Statement on its website. On December 6, 2024, Australian Minister of Defense Richard Marles and New Zealand Minister of Defense Judith Collins signed a new Joint Statement on Closer Defense Relations.
The main purpose of the updated document is to strengthen coordination, coherence and interoperability between the military structures of the two countries. "The alliance between Australia and New Zealand remains closer than ever, tightly bound by our shared history, deep people-to-people links, and common values. Our security partnership was founded in the days of the first ANZACs, with this spirit continuing to enliven our modern alliance.
The formal expression of our alliance is found in the 1944 Canberra Pact, the 1951 ANZUS Treaty and through various Australia - New Zealand Joint Statements on Closer Defence Relations, instigated in 1991 and last updated in 2018," the defense ministers said in a statement. Against this context, our alliance has never been more important to our shared security. Today we reaffirm our commitment to one another under the 1951 ANZUS Treaty; should either nation find itself under attack within the Pacific region, we will act to meet the common danger in accordance with our respective constitutional processes.
Concrete steps
To realize these commitments, five common objectives have been identified:
- contribute to collective security and the maintenance of the global rules-based order;
- increase the effectiveness in combined operations;
- enhance interoperability;
- supporting Pacific sovereign security;
- effective defence industry collaboration.
In particular, the parties agreed to expand the rotation of New Zealand units in Australia where possible and to integrate the New Zealand Infantry Battlegroup into the Australian Brigade.
It is also planned to integrate New Zealand special operations task forces into similar Australian units.
Armored vehicles of the New Zealand Defense Force
To improve coordination between the air forces, it is planned to improve training, expand personnel exchanges between the countries, and intensify information exchange. The statement also emphasizes the importance of exchanging senior officers in leadership positions to increase interoperability. In addition, the parties will jointly implement new approaches to planning and make procurement decisions to enhance both logistical and interoperability.
To develop cooperation between the defense industries, work is underway to remove barriers that prevent the participation of the defense industries of both countries in contracts for the supply of logistics and services.
Render of the AH140 frigate.
Photo credits: Babcock
In August 2023, it became known that Australia and New Zealand want to unite in a program to purchase light frigates to replace the ANZAC frigates.