New Zealand embarks on defence policy reset
Plans to replace New Zealand's two frigates could be accelerated under new defence policy plans. (Photo: NZDF)
New Zealand could be about to undergo a radical change in its approach to defence in the Indo-Pacific region, if a new review designed to face security threats is completed.
New Zealand is embarking on a new defence policy review that could completely refocus the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) to engage more proactively in the Pacific region.
The terms of reference for the review released on 7 July cited the MoD’s earlier Defence Assessment published in December 2021.
The terms of reference said the assessment recommended ‘a policy shift from a predominantly reactive, risk management-centred approach to one based on more deliberate and proactive strategy, with explicit and prioritised policy objectives’.
What this could mean for the NZDF is unclear.
Procurement of existing platforms and equipment for the rest
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