John Key unable to name the head of Isis

Prime Minister John Key. File photo / Chris Gorman

Prime Minister John Key was unable to name the head of the Islamist terrorist group Isis - but nor could the Australian Defence Minister.

Mr Key anticipated he would "get it wrong" when asked by a reporter in Auckland today to name the head of Isis - Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

But he attempted it anyway and duly met his expectations by saying something like "al-Jaberi or something - whatever."

The questions was prompted by an appearance of Australian Defence Minister Kevin on ABC's 730 programme on Tuesday night, on the eve of a new deployment of 70 Australian Defence Force personnel to train Iraqi troops to fight Isis.

He tried to avoid it by saying that Isis was a combination of group. There Is not just one individual involved in this."

The first of Australia's 330 contingent left Brisbane today and they were likely to have joined by a small group of the 143 New Zealanders on the two-year training mission.

Mr Key would not say how many were in the first tranche or when they would go but said it would be "soonish" and it would be staged.

He said last week after farewelling New Zealand troops at Linton Army camp that some of those heading to Australia for pre-deployment training would be part of the advance party heading to Camp Taji north of Baghdad.

He had been advised by the NZDF not to be specific.