Facing new defence challenges: Balaji Chandramohan suggests that the 2016 Defence white paper represents a paradigm shift in New Zealand's strategic outlook and its defence operational reach.

• Author: Chandramohan, Balaji

The long-awaited New Zealand Defence White Paper 2016, released in May, has signalled a paradigm shift in Wellington's response to the shifting geopolitics of the Asia-Pacific region. It calls for further strengthening of its existing defence arrangements with the United States, Australia, Indonesia and Japan. The white paper has also reaffirmed the importance of the South Pacific in New Zealand's geopolitical perspective and provided a predominantly maritime strategic outlook. This change reflects Wellington's efforts in recent years to restructure New Zealand's three armed services and to modernise them to meet current and future requirements.

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The release by the New Zealand government of its much-anticipated Defence White Paper 2016 has coincided with important geopolitical changes in the Asia-Pacific region. The possibility of confrontations, especially between the United States and China, provide a backdrop to consideration of New Zealand's plans for defence provision in an uncertain environment.

Much like its antipodean neighbour, which released its own paper earlier in the year, New Zealand tried to explain the complex geopolitical game that will need to be played in the foreseeable future. This contest will, to a larger extent than previously, have an impact on the allocations of defence funds between the services and also on the politico-military strategy that Wellington must undertake. On that latter note, the white paper has provided an outlook till 2040, with periodic reviews, including the New Zealand Defence Capability Plan to be released in 2018, to take account of developments. (1)

Strategically, the New Zealand white paper has given answers to the ends, ways and means triangle. In a clear effort to signal its intentions upfront, the government has given most attention to the effort required to guard the sea lines of communications in the South Pacific. With regard to the strategic objective, New Zealand will seek to strengthen its existing defence ties with the United States and Australia. Operationally, this will mean continued cooperation between Wellington and Washington in multilateral naval exercises such as the Pacific Rim exercise.

Wellingtons explicit support for Washington's pivot or rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region is an important aspect of the white paper. This went further than its 2010 predecessor, and was reflected in the white papers reaffirmation of the need to keep sea lines of communications open in the Asia-Pacific region and to maintain command of the sea in its maritime zone.

However, the shift of strategic orientation to a maritime focus should assist in achieving the governments political objectives. This will be important in enabling the internal force structuring that will be needed. Externally it will help to balance the existing delicate diplomacy that Wellington has to conduct with Washington and Beijing.

In terms of geopolitical perspective, the Defence White Paper 2016 gives importance to both the Indo-Pacific and the Asia-Pacific regions. The maritime strategic thinking and the geopolitical outlook affects the NZDF's operational zone of...