NZDF General discussion thread

Rob c

The Bunker Group
Verified Defense Pro
Just to add to the above, to be in the armed forces is a 24/7 commitment not 8 to 5 monday to friday as a normal employee and the government needs to understand this and recognise the consequences of this .
 

SeaplanePaul

New Member
Our thoughts and thanks are with our Defence personnel who had their Christmas leave canceled over to cover striking civilian Defence Force staff.
 
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Catalina

Member
Our nation is even more broke than previously realized.

Today's Treasury's Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update detail less tax revenue, increased unemployment, higher crown expenses, deficits for at least the next 5 years and and a raft of extraordinary expenses ahead, including but not limited to the Mt Victoria tunnel, responses to severe weather events, the Manawanui sinking, abuse in state care redress payments, increased health spending on the ageing population and new cancer drugs.

Whether it be responding to disasters at home and overseas, intercepting drugs in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, enforcing sanctions against North Korea and protecting our sea lanes of communication, it is our Navy, and not our army that allows the projection of power.

Why pay for more than twice the number of soldiers than sailors? (6,584 regular and reserve army soldiers vs only 2,830 regular and reserve naval sailors.)

As a maritime island nation wouldn't we be better served by sailors rather than soldiers?

With the growing importance of the Maritime Domain, is it time to reduce the size of our Army and focus more of our limited resources on our Navy?
 

Gibbo

Well-Known Member
Our nation is even more broke than previously realized.

Today's Treasury's Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update detail less tax revenue, increased unemployment, higher crown expenses, deficits for at least the next 5 years and and a raft of extraordinary expenses ahead, including but not limited to the Mt Victoria tunnel, responses to severe weather events, the Manawanui sinking, abuse in state care redress payments, increased health spending on the ageing population and new cancer drugs.

Whether it be responding to disasters at home and overseas, intercepting drugs in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, enforcing sanctions against North Korea and protecting our sea lanes of communication, it is our Navy, and not our army that allows the projection of power.

Why pay for more than twice the number of soldiers than sailors? (6,584 regular and reserve army soldiers vs only 2,830 regular and reserve naval sailors.)

As a maritime island nation wouldn't we be better served by sailors rather than soldiers?

With the growing importance of the Maritime Domain, is it time to reduce the size of our Army and focus more of our limited resources on our Navy?
Sounds like Army increases are dead in the water but any savings made anywhere will not be spent elsewhere.... we've been softened up for serious cuts so DCP wont be worth the paper it's written on & the 2030 look NZDF will be older versions of what we have today minus a few sacrificial lambs.
 

kiwi in exile

Active Member
Summer 24/25 issue of line of defence is online. The editor discusses the delay in the DCP 'kicking the can down the road yet again"
Quotes Jim Rolfe of CSS:
I agree. Prior to the ballistic missile test and the ships in Vanuatu China has long represented a threat to the pacific and the rules based order we all depend on, whic we need to respond to in strategy and capability. The ships and tests haven't changed this fact. We have long known that they were capable of this level of power projection.

Re the interislander replacement (non)anouncement: similar delays to the DCP. This gov't seems reluctant to commit to strategic infrastructure.

Article goes on to discuss the pros/cons of joint ANZAC force/interoperability.
 
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