Preparing for war: Behind the lines with the NZ Army on its biggest training exercise since 2017

The biggest army exercise in seven years was held in barren, bleak South Island backcountry last week. Herald photojournalist George Heard captured the action.

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With New Zealand’s tallest peak looming somewhere behind the thick cloud, camouflaged soldiers crawl and clamber quietly towards their target.

Radios crackle, calling in the “enemy’s” position tucked into the tussock and scrub, as fingers are poised on triggers.

This is Exercise Black Sabre – the biggest training mission for soldiers from the New Zealand Defence Force 1st (NZ) Brigade since 2017.

Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Smith said about 300 soldiers were taking part in platoon live field firing.

Around 300 soldiers took part. Photo / George Heard

An advancing infantry rifle company doing “quick attacks” and various assaults were given fire support by a crew using 81mm mortars while signals and communication personnel operated out of a command post to give Smith “command and control for the battlefield”.

It was the first time since the Covid-19 global pandemic that they have managed such a large-scale exercise, Smith said.

Photo / George Heard

“It’s incredibly important to get out here and train.

“If we don’t get out and train in harsh conditions - it’s been raining pretty consistently for the last 48 hours - and put people in places where they have to display resilience, we’re not doing our job.

“And so getting out here, getting after our skill sets, returning to wolf fighting and getting combat-focused is a real reason why we’re down here and doing this with the conditions that we have.”

Mortar crews were utilised in the training exercises. Photo / George Heard

While there were some 300 soldiers involved across 1st (NZ) Brigade, Smith said they each have their own roles and “part in the system”.

Photo / George Heard

“There’s a whole bunch of people [...] coming together to train what they do and prepare for combat and warfighting, which is really what the 1st (NZ) Brigade is all about,” Smith said.

Photo / George Heard

And for some of them, it was their first time in the field using the Network Enabled Army (NEA) system which sees frontline troops with radios and gear that connects them back to headquarters.

Photo / George Heard

A public notice issued by the NZ Army said the exercise would see soldiers with weapons operating to the east of Lake Alexandrina and near the Tekapo township.

Photo / George Heard

“Blank rounds and pyrotechnics will be used within the Tekapo Military Training Area, near the western bank of Lake Alexandrina, by day and night,” the notice said.

Photo / George Heard

“The exercise will also involve the movement of troops and vehicles along Godley Peaks Rd and the setup of communications sites under vehicle camouflage, by day and night.

“The New Zealand Army takes fire risk seriously and will ensure fire mitigation is present.”