Foreign defence relations New Zealand Defence Force

new zealand , australian military personnel boarding united states navy helicopter during humanitarian aid mission solomon islands in 2007

new zealand states maintains credible minimum force , although critics (including new zealand national party while in opposition) maintain country s defence forces have fallen below standard. claimed area of direct strategic concern extends australia southeast asia south pacific, , defence expenditures total around 1% of gdp, new zealand places substantial reliance on co-operating other countries, particularly australia.

acknowledging need improve defence capabilities, government in 2005 announced defence sustainability initiative allocating additional nz$4.6 billion on 10 years modernise country s defence equipment , infrastructure , increase military personnel. funding represented 51% increase in defence spending since labour government took office in 1999.

new zealand active participant in multilateral peacekeeping. has taken leading role in peace-keeping in solomon islands , neighbouring island of bougainville. new zealand has contributed united nations , other peacekeeping operations in angola, cambodia, somalia, lebanon , former yugoslavia. participated in multilateral interception force in persian gulf. new zealand has ongoing peacekeeping commitment east timor, participated in interfet, untaet , umamet missions 1999–2002. @ 1 point on 1,000 nzdf personnel in east timor. deployment included vessels hmnzs canturbury, te kaha , endeavour, 6 iroquois helicopters, 2 c-130 hercules , infantry battalion. in response renewed conflict in 2006 more troops deployed part of international force. new zealand has participated in 2 nato-led coalitions; sfor in former yugoslavia (until december 2004) , ongoing 1 in afghanistan (which took on us-led coalition in 2006). new zealand participated in european union eufor operation in former yugoslavia december 2004 until new zealand ended 15-year continuous contribution there on 30 june 2007.

as of december 2015, new zealand has 167 personnel deployed across globe. these deployments afghanistan(8), antarctica(8), south korea(5), iraq(106), middle east(8), sinai(26), south sudan(3) , united arab emirates(11). 209 nzdf personnel on other deployments , exercises.

new zealand shares training facilities, personnel exchanges, , joint exercises philippines, thailand, indonesia, papua new guinea, brunei, tonga, , south pacific states. exercises 5 power defence arrangements partners, australia, united kingdom, malaysia, , singapore. new zealand military personnel participate in training exercises, conferences , visits part of military diplomacy.

new zealand signatory of anzus treaty, defence pact between new zealand, australia , united states dating 1951. after 1986 anti-nuclear legislation refused access of nuclear-powered or armed vessels ports, usa withdrew obligations new zealand under anzus, , anzus exercises bilateral between australia , united states. under anti-nuclear legislation, ship must declare whether nuclear-propelled or carrying nuclear weapons before entering new zealand waters. due policy @ time of neither confirm nor deny , ship visits ceased although nz , usa remained friends . despite presidential directive of 27 september 1991 removed tactical nuclear weapons u.s. surface ships, attack submarines, , naval aircraft, ship visits have not resumed. despite signs of rapprochement in recent years, military relationships remain limited.

two members of new zealand provincial reconstruction team in afghanistan during 2009

the nzdf served alongside nato-led forces in afghanistan in first decade of twenty-first century, , in 2004 nzsas awarded presidential unit citation president george w bush extraordinary heroism in action. in 2008 secretary of state condoleezza rice during visit new zealand said new zealand friend , ally .

hmnzs te kaha , hmnzs endeavour , south korean destroyer roks choe yeong @ rimpac 2012

new zealand member of abca armies standardisation programme, naval auscannzukus forum, air , space interoperability council (asic, former ascc, which, among other tasks, allocates nato reporting names) , other western 5 eyes fora sharing signals intelligence information , achieving interoperability like-minded armed forces, such technical cooperation program (ttcp).