New helicopters for NZDF
Judith Collins announced:
The Defence Force's ageing maritime helicopters will be replaced to increase the defensive and offensive capability and surveillance range of New Zealand's frigates, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today.
'The replacement of the Seasprite helicopters will also extend the Navy's ability to support non-combat tasks such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief,' Ms Collins says.
'Together with a $957 million investment in Defence Force activities, personnel and estate, the $2 billion plus budgeted to replace the helicopters represents the first tranche of the Government's $12 billion of planned commitments to upgrade the Defence Force over the next four years.
This is good to see. We only purchased the helicopters in 2015, but they were second hand. They were originally manufactured in the 1990s, and the airframes may even be from the 1970s or 1980s. So definitely time to replace them.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
16 hours ago
- RNZ News
The House: A sentencing hearing in Parliament
Rawiri Waititi speaks in the debate on the Privileges Committee's majority recommendation of parliamentary suspensions for three Te Pāti Māori MPs. The noose is a reference to a tupuna who was hanged in Mount Eden Prison. Photo: VNP / Louis Collins The fate of the three Te Pāti Māori MPs who performed a haka during the vote on the first reading of the Principles of Treaty of Waitangi Bill last November was decided on Thursday , following a long, and at times intense debate. The Privileges hearing outcome was something the Government clearly wanted finished, and it ended the week. Leader of the House Chris Bishop, kicked off Thursday's debate by asking the House to bring down the curtain on an issue that has lingered in Parliament for seven months. The debate boiled down to whether the recommended punishments - all unprecedented - were fair, or even wise. Before the debate paused a fortnight ago, the positions of the two largest parties ( National and Labour ) had been outlined. The Privileges Committee Chair, Judith Collins had stood by the recommended punishments, while Chris Hipkins moved an amendment to reduce them to more historically usual levels. Some of the speeches stepped beyond a simple defence or opposition. Some were personal, some philosophical, some emotional. A few moments are noted below. Labour's Duncan Webb, who is Deputy Chair of the Privileges Committee, is a former jurist and went for the dissect-the-facts approach. It felt like a trial defence summary. "It's well known that those three members chose not to attend the Privileges Committee or provide any explanation. They weren't required to attend the committee. They were not called to attend and therefore did not have to. Whilst they can't claim credit for cooperation - nor can they say they were denied an opportunity to explain - neither can they be punished. "It appears that some members of the committee may feel affronted that the members didn't come to the committee when they were invited. They may even consider that the members were defiant in not attending. "However, they were not required to attend. This is no justification for the imposition of a punishment that is disproportionate and arbitrary." Te Tai Tonga MP Tākuta Ferris took Te Pāti Māori's first call, and took a constitutional approach, questioning the underpinnings of the institution making the judgement. "This debate is not about a haka. It is not about a suspension. It's not about the interruption of a vote. "It is, at its heart, about the fact that this House continues to ignore Te Tiriti o Waitangi, that this House continues to ignore Māori sovereignty, and that this House continues to ignore all of the constitutional rights that flow forth from those two things. "The fact of the matter is simple: without Māori sovereignty, there is no Te Tiriti o Waitangi. "Without Te Tiriti o Waitangi, there is no constitutional right for the presence of the Crown in this part of the world. "Without the constitutional right, there is no Parliament." New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters is a harsh critic of Te Pāti Māori. There was a sense that the pot was boiling over as Peters, himself a member of the Privileges Committee, launched into Te Pāti Māori MPs. "No ordinary Māori, Māori, or non-Māori should accept the behaviour or the intent of this party of absolute extremists, screaming out that everybody else in the Parliament is here only by their behest. "Have a look in the mirror. Mr Ferris, look in the mirror. What is the majority of your DNA? What's the majority of your DNA? Well, if you're disgraced by your European DNA, we over here are not. We are proud of all sides of our background because we are New Zealanders first and foremost. As for blood quantum, if the cowboy hat wearer is an example of blood quantum, I'm going to a new biology class." Winston Peters speaks in the debate on the Privileges Committee's majority recommendation of parliamentary suspensions for three Te Pāti Māori MPs. Photo: VNP / Phil Smith Labour's Willie Jackson also focused his speech on Te Pāti Māori, playing what could be called the role of 'good cop' and encouraging them to compromise. "You know I love you, but a little bit of compromise could help the situation... I know it's hard to apologise, but I want to say to you Te Pāti Māori that not every single Māori in the country supports you and they don't support some of the strategy. "They love you, I love you, but some of the stuff is not going down well. "This is the centre and a celebration of the Westminster system, and I think our challenge - as, I think, you know - is that we have to imbue some of our Māori culture into the system. "We have to get a partnership going, and I don't think the kōrero so far is going to help with the partnership. You know, we have to get the House to embrace some of our values." Willie Jackson speaks in the debate on the Privileges Committee's majority recommendation of parliamentary suspensions for three Te Pāti Māori MPs. Photo: VNP / Phil Smith Former Speaker Adrian Rurawhe is also from Labour's Māori caucus. His speech was a change of pace and had a touch of elder statesman. He began by speaking of a new precedent set - a government majority within the privileges committee punishing the opposition. Raiwiri Waititi and Adrian Rurawhe chat during the debate on the Privileges Committee's majority recommendation of parliamentary suspensions for three Te Pāti Māori MPs. Photo: VNP / Louis Collins "There are no winners in this debate. Each party in this House might think they're winning by talking to the people that support them, but there are no winners in this debate - none - especially not this House. "The Privileges Committee of the future will have a new precedent, without a doubt - a new range of penalties against members who err in the future. You can guarantee that. "You can also guarantee that Governments of the day, in the future, will feel very free to use those penalties to punish their opponents. "This is what we are doing in the House today." The House also heard from the ACT party, who the Te Pāti Māori performed the haka in front of. One of the key points of contention was whether the ACT MPs were victims of intimidation. All three ACT MPs who spoke certainly thought so, with Karen Chhour, who compared the debate to an HR meeting. "I've listened to the speeches across this House, and the hate and the anger that's been chucked from both sides of this House, and it actually really saddens me - it really saddens me. Somebody can say that I don't have the right to stand here and speak, but that's what this place is about. "Four and a half years ago, when I had the privilege of being elected into this place, I felt that burden of what was expected of me when I came to this place, to represent the people that I wanted to come here to make a better life for." "This is what the Privileges Committee is there for - sort of like our HR, where we sit down and we discuss what the issue was and, hopefully, can come to a medium ground where there is a little bit of contrition shown from those who have had the accusations brought to them, and then a simple apology could be enough." Demanding an apology for behaviour found to be intimidating is actually one of the most common punishments recommended by the committee. The Committee's report noted that the MPs not meeting the Committee had no bearing on their decision. As in most courtrooms, where the accused have the chance to represent themselves. All three Te Pāti Māori MPs in question spoke during the debate. Rawiri Waititi used his speech to not only defend his and his colleague's position but as a rallying cry. Rawiri Waititi speaks in the debate on the Privileges Committee's majority recommendation of parliamentary suspensions for three Te Pāti Māori MPs. Photo: VNP / Louis Collins "Turn our rage into power and make this a one-term Government. Enrol! Vote! If you hear the haka outside these walls, add your voice. If you see injustice trending online, amplify the truth. "If you feel fear, remember fear is the coloniser's last currency. Spend it into worthlessness by standing up. You can bench my body from this house for 21 days, but you will never bench our movement." The Greens' Steve Abel, who was the last to speak, also picked up on the courthouse feel to it all, but not just any courthouse. "We're not supposed to critique the courts, but I guess this is a court of our Parliament. The Privileges Committee represents the Parliament. We have two of the most senior members of this Parliament on that Privileges Committee, the then Deputy Prime Minister, Winston Peters, and the Attorney-General, Judith Collins. "Two of the most senior members, both lawyers, have egregiously punished one of the newest members of this Parliament. "What is the message that that sends to young people watching about the justice of this House, to newcomers to the House? "What is the message that it sends about a young Māori woman who has come and spoken with such certainty of the people she represents? "I think it sends a very bad message and I believe it renders the character of the Privileges Committee under that leadership as something of a kangaroo court." After three hours of debate, the House finally came to vote. All amendments put forward by the Opposition were voted down, and the original motion supporting the punishment recommended by the Privileges Committee was agreed upon, thereby kicking off the suspension period for the three Te Pāti Māori MPs, who also lost their salary and their votes in the House whilst suspended. - RNZ's The House, with insights into Parliament, legislation and issues, is made with funding from Parliament's Office of the Clerk. Enjoy our articles or podcast at RNZ. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Otago Daily Times
3 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
NZDF heading for joint military exercise
The army is heading for an international exercise where drones will be tested, taking a single drone of its own. Australia and the US are expected to test autonomous weapons as well as a vital new missile system - one that has already upset China - at the Talisman Sabre exercise, starting late next week. As the first 150 out of 680 New Zealand Defence Force personnel going to the exercise got on the Navy ship Canterbury in Wellington, on Thursday, its commanders reiterated their goal to provide the government with a more lethal combat force. "We are very mindful that the role of the Defence Force right now is more critical than it has been for several decades," Brigadier Jason Dyhrberg told reporters. "Therefore, it is important that we make sure we provide the government with a lethal, agile, effective combat force that can protect and preserve New Zealand interests, both domestically and abroad." Yet constraints were still obvious, with the government's $12 billion defence capability plan arriving too late to make a difference. "It's too early to put that into resource right now," Dyhrberg said. "Those capabilities will be in the pipeline in the coming years." That meant little on the drone front, with the motorised infantry combat team taking along just one drone. "This will be employed in a surveillance and target acquisition role by the Joint Fires Team," the NZDF said. Talisman was a proving ground for drones in 2023, which have been transforming warfare in Ukraine. Lieutenant Colonel Caleb Berry said drones would be introduced at all levels of the NZDF, but it would take time. "The Defence Force is on a capability journey with drones," Berry said. "We identify that there is a need, but we're still going through that journey at the moment." Asked if the NZDF was taking anything more lethal now, compared to Talisman 2023, Dyhrberg said, "they're largely the same capabilities". He added quickly: "But in the defence capability plan, the minister has made it quite clear about making the defence force more lethal. "That will include more lethal fires as well. What there will be is still to be determined." 'Joint fires' "Joint fires" refers to digital targeting for shooting at targets synchronised at lightning speed across multiple forces and "domains" (land, sea, air, space). The US and Australia have made strides towards this since 2021, when the Australian Defence Force said it was "now plug and play" and "fully integrated". It not only coordinates the target, but recommends what weapon to shoot at it and how. Joint fire networks are a central part of the Pentagon's priority ongoing project to build a mega-network of sensors and shooters called CJADC2 (Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control). Leading US contractor Lockheed Martin helped provide a joint fires network to exercises in Alaska and took part in Talisman Sabre in 2023. For Talisman 2025, the NZDF is taking more than twice as many people as in 2023, at a time when it had described itself as "hollowed out" and suffering high turnover. Also its stop-start Network Enabled Army project has so far put new digital communications systems into seven Bushmaster vehicles - out of 43 total - and those were driven on to the HMNZS Canterbury on Thursday. "We don't have drones as part of this combat team, but we do have the ability to communicate both digitally and via voice with the Australians at all levels," said Berry. Talisman would also give them the chance to see the missile capability of their partners, he added. 'Command and control' Talisman and other major military exercises, such as Rimpac that the navy went to last year, align with the US's CJADC2 goals to build what the Pentagon calls "kill chains" that are ever faster. At a California exercise NZDF went to in March, the chain was down to just seconds over long distances, US media reports have said. NZDF said a key goal over the three-week Talisman exercise was to integrate its capabilities with Australian and US "command relationships including command and control". Dyhrberg added, "we always maintain sovereignty over our own forces in terms of doing command and control". They had stepped up for 2025 by sending the motorised combat team of Light Armoured Vehicles (LAVs) and Bushmasters, and aimed to build up further to contributing a battalion-size group for Talisman 2027, he said. US pressure - Talisman comes at interesting time for allies' relationship Talisman, the largest bilateral Australia-US military exercise, comes at an interesting time for the allies' relationship. At the weekend, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told Canberra it should lift its defence spending to 3.5% of GDP "as soon as possible", from 2% now. This is about the same proportion as America spends on defence. He conveyed this at the Shangri-La dialogue summit, where New Zealand Minister of Defence Judith Collins had spoken in defence of Donald Trump's proposed Golden Dome missile defence system. Hegseth and Australia's Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Richard Marles, "discussed aligning investment to the security environment in the Indo-Pacific", the Pentagon said. But Prime Minister Anthony Albanese later said Australia would decide what defence capability it needed, with spending to fit that. The Australian reported this as Albanese having "brushed off the request". "We'll determine our defence policy," Albanese said. His government's current goal is to hit 2.4% by 2033, which would take the total spend to over $100 billion a year. New Zealand in April announced its goal of doubling its defence spending to 2% by 2032, or over $10b a year. Japan's is only about 1.8%. However, some analysts predict US defence spending will actually go down in the coming decade, to under 3 percent, though Hegseth has made much about having the first US-trillion-dollar defence budget this year (which has not been agreed to yet). The share of the spend that US states get varies wildly, with Texas getting the biggest share, next Virginia and third California. More money has recently been going into Silicon Valley as the Pentagon signs contracts with various tech companies branching out into defence.
RNZ News
3 days ago
- RNZ News
Politicians across political spectrum open to investigating law changes after press secretary's 'disturbing' allegations
Photo: LinkedIn/Michael Forbes The minister who a government press secretary was working for when police investigated him over claims made by sex workers told reporters today that her feelings are irrelevant. Michael Forbes quit on Wednesday from his position of deputy chief press secretary to the Prime Minister, and has apologised after accusations he recorded audio of sessions with sex workers, had intrusive photos of women in public and footage of women shot through windows at night. Forbes was working for Social Development Minister Louise Upston in July last year when police investigated but did not pursue charges. He didn't disclose the investigation to the minister, or his employer Ministerial Services, and didn't raise it with the Prime Minister's office when he moved to work there in February. Upston told media on Thursday afternoon she's more concerned about the women affected by his actions, than her own feelings. She said questions should be directed to Forbes about why he didn't disclose the fact police were investigating him to his employer. "That's a matter for him to answer to, that is absolutely a matter for him to answer to - not me," Upston said. "It was on him, and he didn't disclose that information." Upston said she's had substantial conversations with her team and acknowledges there's been a range of emotions from those who worked with Forbes. Natonal Party Minister Louise Upston. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Senior Minister Judith Collins said she had never heard complaints about Forbes behaviour, and was shocked to hear the allegations against him. He worked for Collins when she was the National Party opposition leader. She said questions about whether he should have been more thoroughly vetted or whether he posed a security risk were not for her to answer. "I think it's a matter that's being dealt with now by Internal Affairs, DIA, and so I think I'll leave it at that - but yeah I was pretty shocked," Collins said. On Thursday morning, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told reporters he was open to looking at privacy laws after a call for a law change by the madam of the brothel at the centre of the accusations against Forbes. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said making audio recording illegal would be a significant change, and it's currently a well-settled law. "We can ask some questions about that but I wouldn't underestimate that that's a big change," he said. Goldsmith said no conversations about a change have started. New Zealand First's leader Winston Peters has not yet taken a position on whether privacy laws should change. While the madam of the Wellington brothel who confronted Forbes wants law changes to prevent people being recorded without their knowledge, Peters was not rushing to do so. "You've asked the right person and you're asking the right party, but I'm not in charge of the National Party," Peters said. "If you dissect the background of this, it may be this question would arise, but I don't know at this point in time because I haven't seen any information." ACT deputy leader Brooke van Velden said she's open to a conversation about privacy laws, but not right now. She said people at Parliament will still be grappling with the news, calling them "very shocking" and "quite disturbing" allegations. "I also want to ensure we give the women who have complained and made this known the respect that they deserve without muddying this with a law change conversation," van Velden said. She said her thoughts go out to the women who are affected by Forbes' actions, adding the women were "quite brave" for going public. She said she's had conversations with sex workers about the type of work they do, and the "dangerous elements" involved in that work which she called eye-opening. Van Velden had also had conversations with cabinet colleagues about how sex workers could be more safe, but it's not a priority at this stage. ACT deputy leader Brooke van Velden. Photo: RNZ / REECE BAKER Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson said, like all workers, sex workers deserved to feel safe in their workplace. She was supportive of changes to privacy laws. "In my time as a former prevention of violence minister, these sorts of issues around privacy and consent across public spheres as well, have long been a conversation from this sector and from advocates. So, I think that's something we should all look at," Davidson said. Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii Senior Labour MP Barbara Edmonds said Labour was open to law changes, but it needed to discuss it as a caucus. "I think there was a lot of surprises into the different elements of all these allegations. So, we need to have a good look at it, see what the reports and reviews come out with, and make a decision as a caucus as to where we need to see areas of the law be tightened," she said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
