Latest news with #USSBlueRidge
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
NZ defence minister pledges more deployments, co-operation
By Greg Torode SINGAPORE (Reuters) -New Zealand is seeking to expand Asia-Pacific military deployments in its quest to show it was now "pulling our weight" with increased spending on its armed forces, the South Pacific nation's defence minister said in Singapore on Friday. Defence minister Judith Collins raised the prospect of welcoming increased warship visits to the country, deepening joint training and other cooperative efforts with its traditional defence partners including ally Australia, the United States, Singapore, Japan, Britain and the Philippines. "So we're open for business, we're back in the world and we're pulling our weight," Collins told Reuters on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue defence meeting in Singapore. The New Zealand government announced in April that it would boost defence spending by NZ$9 billion ($5 billion) over the next four years, with the aim of nearly doubling spending to 2% as a share of gross domestic product in the next eight years amid growing international tensions. The new spending is a significant boost to the defence budget of just under NZ$5 billion in 2024/25, and follows its first national security review in 2023. The review called for more military spending and stronger ties with Indo-Pacific nations to tackle issues of climate change and strategic competition between the West, and China and Russia. The USS Blue Ridge, the command ship of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, visited Wellington earlier this month and further visits from partners could be expected, Collins said. The ship was just the third U.S. warship to visit in 40 years. When asked about Chinese concerns at New Zealand's more assertive military posture, she said Beijing realised Wellington had "actually got a spine", but "I don't think China stays awake at night worrying about us." "I don't think we're any threat to China, or anyone else really," Collins said, describing relations with China, an important trading partner, as "very mature". Regional military attaches and analysts say that after years of relative neglect, New Zealand still had to improve its ability to sustainably project power given its small, ageing navy and air force but supporting its traditional relationships were key. Nuclear-free since the 1980s, New Zealand maintains an independent foreign policy but remains part of the Five Eyes intelligence sharing network with the United States, Britain, Australia and Canada. Deployments of its four new Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft are being closely watched, given how they can help other countries plug gaps in the hunt for Chinese submarines, analysts say. Collins said New Zealand and Australian pilots now had the ability to fly each other's P-8 and transport planes - a sign of growing "interoperability" in action. Collins said the P-8s had already flown up towards Canada and she expected further patrols in the South China Sea and Indian Ocean. "I think you'll see quite a lot of that," she said. "We go everywhere. Everywhere where we're wanted we go, if we can."
Arab News
3 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
New Zealand defense minister pledges more deployments, co-operation
SINGAPORE: New Zealand is seeking to expand Asia-Pacific military deployments in its quest to show it was now 'pulling our weight' with increased spending on its armed forces, the South Pacific nation's defense minister said in Singapore on Friday. Defense minister Judith Collins raised the prospect of welcoming increased warship visits to the country, deepening joint training and other cooperative efforts with its traditional defense partners including ally Australia, the United States, Singapore, Japan, Britain and the Philippines. 'So we're open for business, we're back in the world and we're pulling our weight,' Collins said on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue defense meeting in Singapore. The New Zealand government announced in April that it would boost defense spending by NZ$9 billion ($5 billion) over the next four years, with the aim of nearly doubling spending to 2 percent as a share of gross domestic product in the next eight years amid growing international tensions. The new spending is a significant boost to the defense budget of just under NZ$5 billion in 2024/25, and follows its first national security review in 2023. The review called for more military spending and stronger ties with Indo-Pacific nations to tackle issues of climate change and strategic competition between the West, and China and Russia. The USS Blue Ridge, the command ship of the US Pacific Fleet, visited Wellington earlier this month and further visits from partners could be expected, Collins said. The ship was just the third US warship to visit in 40 years. When asked about Chinese concerns at New Zealand's more assertive military posture, she said Beijing realized Wellington had 'actually got a spine,' but 'I don't think China stays awake at night worrying about us.' 'I don't think we're any threat to China, or anyone else really,' Collins said, describing relations with China, an important trading partner, as 'very mature.' Regional military attaches and analysts say that after years of relative neglect, New Zealand still had to improve its ability to sustainably project power given its small, aging navy and air force but supporting its traditional relationships were key. Nuclear-free since the 1980s, New Zealand maintains an independent foreign policy but remains part of the Five Eyes intelligence sharing network with the United States, Britain, Australia and Canada. Deployments of its four new Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft are being closely watched, given how they can help other countries plug gaps in the hunt for Chinese submarines, analysts say. Collins said New Zealand and Australian pilots now had the ability to fly each other's P-8 and transport planes — a sign of growing 'interoperability' in action. Collins said the P-8s had already flown up toward Canada and she expected further patrols in the South China Sea and Indian Ocean. 'I think you'll see quite a lot of that,' she said. 'We go everywhere. Everywhere where we're wanted we go, if we can.'
Reuters
3 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
NZ defence minister pledges more deployments, co-operation
SINGAPORE, May 30 (Reuters) - New Zealand is seeking to expand Asia-Pacific military deployments in its quest to show it was now "pulling our weight" with increased spending on its armed forces, the South Pacific nation's defence minister said in Singapore on Friday. Defence minister Judith Collins raised the prospect of welcoming increased warship visits to the country, deepening joint training and other cooperative efforts with its traditional defence partners including ally Australia, the United States, Singapore, Japan, Britain and the Philippines. "So we're open for business, we're back in the world and we're pulling our weight," Collins told Reuters on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue defence meeting in Singapore. The New Zealand government announced in April that it would boost defence spending by NZ$9 billion ($5 billion) over the next four years, with the aim of nearly doubling spending to 2% as a share of gross domestic product in the next eight years amid growing international tensions. The new spending is a significant boost to the defence budget of just under NZ$5 billion in 2024/25, and follows its first national security review in 2023. The review called for more military spending and stronger ties with Indo-Pacific nations to tackle issues of climate change and strategic competition between the West, and China and Russia. The USS Blue Ridge, the command ship of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, visited Wellington earlier this month and further visits from partners could be expected, Collins said. The ship was just the third U.S. warship to visit in 40 years. When asked about Chinese concerns at New Zealand's more assertive military posture, she said Beijing realised Wellington had "actually got a spine", but "I don't think China stays awake at night worrying about us." "I don't think we're any threat to China, or anyone else really," Collins said, describing relations with China, an important trading partner, as "very mature". Regional military attaches and analysts say that after years of relative neglect, New Zealand still had to improve its ability to sustainably project power given its small, ageing navy and air force but supporting its traditional relationships were key. Nuclear-free since the 1980s, New Zealand maintains an independent foreign policy but remains part of the Five Eyes intelligence sharing network with the United States, Britain, Australia and Canada. Deployments of its four new Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft are being closely watched, given how they can help other countries plug gaps in the hunt for Chinese submarines, analysts say. Collins said New Zealand and Australian pilots now had the ability to fly each other's P-8 and transport planes - a sign of growing "interoperability" in action. Collins said the P-8s had already flown up towards Canada and she expected further patrols in the South China Sea and Indian Ocean. "I think you'll see quite a lot of that," she said. "We go everywhere. Everywhere where we're wanted we go, if we can."
Arab News
3 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
NZ defense minister pledges more deployments, co-operation
SINGAPORE: New Zealand is seeking to expand Asia-Pacific military deployments in its quest to show it was now 'pulling our weight' with increased spending on its armed forces, the South Pacific nation's defense minister said in Singapore on minister Judith Collins raised the prospect of welcoming increased warship visits to the country, deepening joint training and other cooperative efforts with its traditional defense partners including ally Australia, the United States, Singapore, Japan, Britain and the Philippines.'So we're open for business, we're back in the world and we're pulling our weight,' Collins told Reuters on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue defense meeting in New Zealand government announced in April that it would boost defense spending by NZ$9 billion ($5 billion) over the next four years, with the aim of nearly doubling spending to 2 percent as a share of gross domestic product in the next eight years amid growing international new spending is a significant boost to the defense budget of just under NZ$5 billion in 2024/25, and follows its first national security review in review called for more military spending and stronger ties with Indo-Pacific nations to tackle issues of climate change and strategic competition between the West, and China and USS Blue Ridge, the command ship of the US Pacific Fleet, visited Wellington earlier this month and further visits from partners could be expected, Collins said. The ship was just the third US warship to visit in 40 asked about Chinese concerns at New Zealand's more assertive military posture, she said Beijing realized Wellington had 'actually got a spine,' but 'I don't think China stays awake at night worrying about us.''I don't think we're any threat to China, or anyone else really,' Collins said, describing relations with China, an important trading partner, as 'very mature.'Regional military attaches and analysts say that after years of relative neglect, New Zealand still had to improve its ability to sustainably project power given its small, aging navy and air force but supporting its traditional relationships were since the 1980s, New Zealand maintains an independent foreign policy but remains part of the Five Eyes intelligence sharing network with the United States, Britain, Australia and of its four new Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft are being closely watched, given how they can help other countries plug gaps in the hunt for Chinese submarines, analysts said New Zealand and Australian pilots now had the ability to fly each other's P-8 and transport planes — a sign of growing 'interoperability' in said the P-8s had already flown up toward Canada and she expected further patrols in the South China Sea and Indian Ocean. 'I think you'll see quite a lot of that,' she said. 'We go everywhere. Everywhere where we're wanted we go, if we can.'
South China Morning Post
23-05-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
US warship's New Zealand visit a sign of ‘deep ties' amid Trump-era uncertainty
The recent arrival of a US warship in New Zealand is likely a result of improved security relations under past administrations that could be jeopardised by Donald Trump's return to the White House, according to observers. The USS Blue Ridge arrived in Wellington Harbour last Friday on a goodwill visit, marking the first visit by an American naval vessel to the city since 2021. During the visit, which ended on Thursday, US Navy officials are said to have met their local counterparts to discuss ways of improving operational readiness and advancing future military capabilities, according to New Zealand media. The last US Navy vessels to visit were the guided-missile destroyers USS Howard in 2021 and USS Sampson in 2016. The 200-metre (660-foot) Blue Ridge – flagship of the Japan-based Seventh Fleet – departed Yokosuka Naval Base on April 3 and has visited Australia, Fiji and New Caledonia, American military newspaper Stars and Stripes reported. The USS Blue Ridge in Wellington, New Zealand, on Wednesday. Photo: Facebook/Ship Spotters New Zealand Vice-admiral Fred Kacher, commander of the fleet, said the visit spoke to the 'deep ties' between Washington and Wellington. 'Our partnership is rooted in our common values and respect, and our visit here represents an important opportunity for us to further strengthen the bond between our nations and our navies.'
