New Zealand Chief of Army Major General John Boswell (right) and Australian Chief of Army Lieutenant General Simon Stuart signing Plan Anzac in Wellington. Photo / Supplied
New Zealand Chief of Army Major General John Boswell (right) and Australian Chief of Army Lieutenant General Simon Stuart signing Plan Anzac in Wellington. Photo / Supplied
New Zealand’s army has announced a new plan it says will strengthen its relationship with Australia.
Chief of the New Zealand Army, Major General John Boswell, has called the plan - dubbed Plan Anzac - “a significant step forward” in their partnership with our friends across the Tasman.
“As close neighbours and allies, we have a mutual commitment to support each other’s security, closely co-ordinate our efforts in the South Pacific and maintain a shared focus on the security and stability of our wider region,” Boswell said.
“This plan ensures our armies can continue to effectively contribute to that.”
Co-operation between the two nations’ special forces was specifically mentioned in the announcement as being continued with the plan.
The plan is said to create a “formalised framework” for already established work streams, including sustained co-operation across strategic engagement, capability, training, readiness and common personnel issues.
New Zealand and Australia have shared a long military history, dating back to the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps fighting in the Gallipoli campaign during World War I which forged the Anzac legend in both countries.
NZSAS personnel leaving a Chinook helicopter while on operations in Afghanistan. Photo / NZDF
Boswell added the agreement will ensure the relationship between the two armies is kept open, based on mutual respect and is enduring.
“This agreement will make sure both armies can work as efficiently as possible, complementing each other’s capabilities and capacity,” Boswell said.
“It provides a focus and framework to take ongoing conversations and engagements between allies and mates, and formalise these to improve existing co-operation.
“We will be able to better share lessons across capability development, doctrine for training and many other areas related to the generation, and in the New Zealand Army’s current case, the regeneration of land combat capability.”
Australian Chief of Army Lieutenant General Simon Stuart receiving a formal welcome at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park in Wellington. Photo / Supplied
The strategy will strike a compromise between maintaining sovereign capability and the ability to operate in support of independent joint force operations, as well as the enduring traits of the Anzac alliance, such as close integration in capabilities, training and readiness.
The co-operation of the two countries in support of shared goals for increased inter-operability and standards as participants in the American, British, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand armies’ Programme is another significant result of the strategy.
In order to improve long-term operational inter-operability between a New Zealand Special Operations Task Group and an Australian Special Operations Task Force on combined or multinational special operations missions, co-operation between the nations’ special forces will also continue as a part of the plan.
“Our armies have a deep history of operational service, organisational co-operation, regional partnerships and mateship. For more than a century, we have served our nations, supported global peace and upheld regional stability - together. We will continue to do just that,” Boswell said.
Last month, Australia also confirmed it will purchase US-manufactured, nuclear-powered attack submarines to modernise its fleet amid growing concerns about China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
The purchase agreement for Virginia-class submarines was announced when US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met in San Diego for talks on the nuclear partnership known by the acronym Aukus.
