The Australian and New Zealand armies today signed a new ‘Plan ANZAC’ they hope will build on their joint history of cooperation and mateship.
FILE PHOTO (March 2023): New Zealand Army soldiers from 2nd/4th Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment, led by Platoon Commander Lieutenant Peter Havell, perform a haka to Australian soldiers from 5th Brigade during Exercise Waratah Run in Singleton, NSW. Photo by Corporal Jacob Joseph.
Plan ANZAC is a bilateral agreement designed to increase capacity to operate together with a framework for engagement, enabling the two armies to exchange views and share situational awareness, capability, training and readiness.
Chief of the Australian Army Lieutenant General Simon Stuart said the agreement would increase cooperation between the two armies.
“Plan ANZAC builds on our significant history of partnership by strengthening our army-to-army relationships, enhancing interoperability, capacity, ability to jointly support combat operations as well as joint capabilities to meet today’s challenges,” Lieutenant General Stuart said.
“This partnership will see both armies better prepared to work together to support security and stability missions, as well as humanitarian-aid and disaster-relief operations.”
Chief of the New Zealand Army Major General John Boswell said Plan ANZAC was a step forward for the trans-Tasman strategic partnership.
“Our armies have a deep history of operational service, organisational cooperation, regional partnerships – and mateship,” Major General Boswell said.
“For more than a century, we have served our nations, supported global peace and upheld regional stability – together.
“We will continue to do just that.
“As close neighbours and allies, we have a mutual commitment to support each other’s security, closely coordinate our efforts in the South Pacific, and maintain a shared focus on the security and stability of our wider region.
“This plan ensures our armies can continue to effectively contribute to that.”
Major General Boswell said Plan ANZAC reflects the value of land power to both nations, and the value that interoperability can bring to joint operations.
“This agreement will make sure both armies can work as efficiently as possible, complementing each other’s capabilities and capacity.
“It provides a focus and framework to take ongoing conversations and engagements between allies and mates, and formalise these to improve existing cooperation.
“We will be able to better share lessons across capability development, doctrine for training, and many other areas related to the generation – and in the New Zealand Army’s current case – the regeneration of land-combat capability.
“The objectives in this agreement are based on long-standing trans-Tasman defence cooperation, captured in the 2018 Joint Statement on Closer Defence Relations.
“Another key outcome of the plan is that both nations will cooperate to support common objectives for broader interoperability and standards as members of the American, British, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand Armies’ Programme.
“Cooperation will also continue between the nations’ special forces, improving enduring operational interoperability between a New Zealand Special Operations Task Group and an Australian Special Operations Task Force on combined or multinational special-operations missions.
“Our armies have a deep history of operational service, organisational cooperation, regional partnerships and mateship.
“For more than a century, we have served our nations, supported global peace and upheld regional stability – together.
“We will continue to do just that,” Major General Boswell said.
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