New Zealand
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Oceania
New Zealand embarks on military transformation with $7 billion defense plan
Peter Parson The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) will be transformed into a combat-ready military aligned with regional Allies and Partners and equipped to face escalating geopolitical tensions under a $7 billion initiative. The Defence Capability Plan (DCP) unveiled in April 2025 will raise defense spending above 2% of gross domestic product over the next eight years, nearly doubling current…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
U.K.-led Operation Highmast departs for Indo-Pacific deployment with Allies and Partners
FORUM Staff The United Kingdom’s Royal Navy flagship HMS Prince of Wales departed Portsmouth Naval Base in late April 2025 to lead a multilateral deployment to the Indo-Pacific. The eight-month deployment of the U.K.’s Carrier Strike Group 2025, called Operation Highmast, will be joined by vessels and/or personnel from 13 nations, including Australia, France, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand,…
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Oceania
Australia deepens engagement in Solomon Islands amid geopolitical tensions
Peter Parson Australia is expanding its engagements in Solomon Islands with an array of medical, public health and maritime security initiatives, reaffirming its commitment to regional stability as Beijing’s attempts to gain influence raise concern. Canberra’s nine-year, $73 million Health Sector Support Program is bolstering the Pacific island country’s capabilities in areas including malaria control, maternal and child health, water…
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Partnerships
Project Convergence ‘critical proving ground’ for emerging military capabilities
FORUM Staff Allied and Partner forces converged in the unforgiving terrain of the American West recently to test drones, robotic vehicles, and next-generation command and control (NGC2) as part of the United States Army’s “premier modernization experiment.” Project Convergence Capstone 5 (PC-C5), which runs from March through April 2025 at the U.S. Army’s National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California,…
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Global Commons
Drones to boost New Zealand Army’s combat, humanitarian missions
FORUM Staff The New Zealand Defence Force’s (NZDF) recent deployment of uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), including microdrones that are operational in barely a minute, will enhance reconnaissance and surveillance missions in combat zones and natural disaster areas, officials say. “The remotely operated systems are expected to reduce the risk to Soldiers operating in challenging environments by providing timely and accurate…
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Partnerships
Military technology, partnerships key components at POST Conference
FORUM Staff The need to rapidly advance military technology was a leading refrain at the Pacific Operational Science & Technology (POST) Conference in early March 2025. “The priority here is not just developing military technology but to do it in a way that can be expedited and transitioned rapidly,” said Choi Jang sik, director general of South Korea’s Advanced Force…
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Conflicts - Tensions
U.S., Allies and Partners enhance Pacific island stability and security through shiprider agreements
FORUM Staff The United States Coast Guard cutter Midgett visited Australia, New Zealand and Tuvalu in February 2025 as part of the shiprider program, in which Indo-Pacific nations and territories partner to deter illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, counter drug trafficking, and strengthen bilateral relationships. Personnel also exchange expertise and best practices, and enhance interoperability. The bilateral maritime law…
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Partnerships
Five Power Defence Arrangements members adapt to regional security challenges
Sarah Chan Amid a shifting regional security landscape, members of the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) security pact are upgrading joint training, deploying advanced assets and increasing high-level personnel contacts. The new measures were showcased at the Bersama Lima exercise in October 2024, and officials and analysts expect the initiatives to further improve interoperability and strengthen regional security. Soldiers conduct…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
Manila advances multilateral cooperation for regional, global security
FORUM Staff The Philippines is rapidly expanding international defense partnerships amid escalating tensions in the South China Sea. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) illegally claims most of the economically vital and environmentally significant waterway. Beijing has become increasingly aggressive inside Manila’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) — and other nations’ maritime territory — despite an international tribunal’s nearly decade-old ruling…
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Features
Land Power Key for Multidomain Success
FORUM Staff | Photos by AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE DEPARTMENT Lt. Gen. Simon Stuart assumed command of the Australian Army on July 2, 2022, about 35 years after he enlisted as a Soldier. The Chief of Army sat down for an interview with FORUM on the sidelines of the Land Forces Pacific (LANPAC) conference sponsored by the Association of the United States…
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