NZ-US army exercises to resume after 23-year freeze

Photo / Northern Advocate

The United States' blanket ban on joint military exercises with New Zealand is about to be lifted.

Defence Minister Wayne Mapp confirmed yesterday that New Zealand and US forces would undertake training and military exercises together "in the areas where it's relevant to do so".

"And that really means where we're working reasonably close together, and also of course the interests are within the Pacific."

The ban was imposed as a reprisal against New Zealand's anti-nuclear stance, which became law in 1987.

It meant that New Zealand participation in exercises such as those held before an SAS deployment in Afghanistan or those initiated by former President George W. Bush under the Proliferation Security Initiative required a waiver from the ban.

The Herald reported in January that the ban would be lifted during the visit of Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. But her visit was cancelled because of the earthquake in Haiti.

Dr Mapp told TVNZ's Q+A programme yesterday that relations with the US had improved in the past five years.

"That process will continue and it's a practical approach around training, to ensure that our Defence Forces get the right sort of training when they're doing work together.

"The two countries do have strong views on certain things, of course, and you well know that New Zealand is nuclear free.

"The US understands that, so that sort of sets a bit of a parameter, but in practical things we can work together."

He also revealed that the Defence Force was restructuring and considering public-private partnerships to make $50 million in savings a year.

Two areas that could be streamlined were human resourcing and training for the Army, Air Force and Navy.

"We're talking about $50 or so million a year, essentially shifting, and we think we can do that. The work's been started but we want to give the public a good sense that we have an affordable plan that will actually endure."

One possible way to save money was to have public-private partnerships.

"The Government has built $150 million worth of hangars for the new helicopters. You would think things like that could be done more effectively by a public-private partnership."

The quest for ways to save had delayed the Defence Force White Paper, a review of the sector and its strategy and capability, for six months until the end of September.

Labour leader Phil Goff, a former defence minister, said most of the fat was trimmed from the Defence Force in the 1990s.

"Dr Mapp has to guarantee that his cuts are not going to put at risk the lives of our New Zealand service people serving their country overseas."

He called on the National Party to release the White Paper on schedule.