Strategic Manoeuvres: Security in the Asia-Pacific.

• Author: Rolls, Mark
• Position: Book review

Strategic Manoeuvres: Security in the Asia-Pacific

Editor: James Veitch

Published by: Centre for Strategic Studies, Wellington, 2009, 237pp, $20.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

This volume is a collection of essays intended to recognise Peter Cozens's contribution to the work of the Council for Security Co-operation in the Asia-Pacific (especially its Maritime Study Group) and his role as Director of the Centre for Strategic Studies from 2002 to 2009. It is not, the editor clearly states at the beginning, meant to be a traditional festschrift.

Apart from noting Cozens's interest in all things maritime (something with which most readers would be familiar), and a sometimes less obvious interest in China, the editor provides little sense of direction for what is often a disparate set of essays by a diverse range of contributors. The essays cover eight topics--including the origins of Track II diplomacy, New Zealand defence policy and maritime security, a range of regional maritime security concerns, the nature of some of China's security concerns and the rivalry between China, India and Japan--with the contributors being from New Zealand and overseas. Some of the contributors (Gary Hawke, Joanna Mossop and Les Holborrow) linked their subjects to Peter Cozens's interests and concerns, which provided for a personal touch that was otherwise absent outside of the foreword.

Although he did not explicitly make a connection with Cozens's work, Geoffrey Till's chapter on 'New Zealand's Naval Choices' seemed particularly apt: the more so because of the still on-going Defence Review. Looking at some of the missions which navies have to perform, especially conflict prevention and sea control (both close to home and further afield), Till contends that the Royal New Zealand Navy's two ANZAC frigates and the Project Protector Force 'seem in general to fit the bill'. However, in respect of maritime security, or what Till traditionally refers to as 'maintaining good order at sea', increases in the number of inshore and offshore patrol vessels 'seems warranted'. New Zealand also needs to take account of rapidly changing naval capabilities elsewhere in the Asia--Pacific region, and thus the ANZAC frigates will need to be upgraded and ultimately replaced. Budgetary constraints, though, will make for a difficult choice between the maritime dimension and other aspects of defence and, indeed, 'between capabilities within the Navy' itself.

In a rather rare demonstration of...