A $360 million cash boost will help the New Zealand Defence Force "continue making meaningful contributions to global security and peacekeeping efforts" and help respond to natural disasters, Defence Minister Ron Mark says.
Budget 2018 provides $367.7m in extra operating funding to the Defence and Veterans portfolios over the next four years, underpinned by an extra $324.1m for the NZDF operating budget.
It also provides $42.3 in new capital funding for modernisation.
"The extra funding is going to go a long way towards helping the Defence Force meet increasing demand across a range of tasks," Mark says.
"Defence assets and personnel must be well prepared and ready to respond to whatever tasks the Government expects of them. This applies to both overseas deployments and events closer to home when the Defence Force is required to provide assistance to our communities, and to undertake resource and border protection operations.