Displaying 73 - 96 of 146 results.

Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman says New Zealand is continuing to strengthen practical cooperation with its international partners as we develop our amphibious capabilities.

“At last year’s annual Australia-New Zealand Defence Ministers meeting we agreed to further develop our practical cooperation,” Dr Coleman says.

“The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) is sending observers to Exercise Talisman Saber 2013, one of Australia’s major biennial exercises, to further develop our amphibious capability.

  • Jonathan Coleman
  • Defence

Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman welcomes today’s dedication and unveiling of three new commemorative plaques for Defence Force operations.

“It is appropriate that Parliament pays tribute to the 20,000 New Zealanders who served their country in Afghanistan, Timor-Leste and other missions in more than 40 countries around the world since the 1950s,” Dr Coleman says.

  • Jonathan Coleman
  • Defence

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee and Defence Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman have paid tribute to members of the New Zealand Defence Force for their dedicated service to Christchurch on the eve of their longest ever domestic deployment.

“Tomorrow afternoon around 120 members of the Army, Navy and Air Force will be thanked in person by Prime Minister John Key for their duty to Christchurch,” Mr Brownlee says.

  • Jonathan Coleman
  • Gerry Brownlee
  • Defence
  • Canterbury Earthquake Recovery

Defence Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman welcomes a new defence agreement with Timor-Leste, which reflects the strong ties between the two countries.

“This agreement signifies how our bilateral relationship has matured, and it builds on the close working relationship between the NZ Defence Force (NZDF) and the Falintil Forcas de Defesa Timor-Leste (F-FDTL),” Dr Coleman says.

  • Jonathan Coleman
  • Defence

Defence Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman welcomes today’s presentation of New Zealand operational medals to the 30 Afghan interpreters who have resettled in New Zealand.

“I am very pleased that our Afghan interpreters who served with our troops and police in the NZ Provincial Reconstruction Team (NZPRT) in Bamyan are being awarded these medals today,” says Dr Coleman.

“As New Zealand residents, it is appropriate that they receive the same medallic recognition as the New Zealand Defence Force and New Zealand Police personnel they served alongside.

  • Jonathan Coleman
  • Defence

Defence Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman welcomes the release of the Defence Force’s Court of Inquiry into two incidents in August 2012 where five soldiers lost their lives in Bamyan Province, Afghanistan.

“Losing five of our soldiers in Afghanistan in August last year was a very tragic and difficult time for the Defence Force and for New Zealand,” says Dr Coleman.

“Today’s release of the inquiry will be difficult for the families who continue to mourn their loved ones.

  • Jonathan Coleman
  • Defence

Defence Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman welcomes two new UK awards for service in Bomber Command and the Arctic Circle during World War II.

13 Bomber Command Clasps and an Arctic Star are being presented today to a group of Kiwi veterans at the Auckland War Memorial Museum Hall of Memories at an event organised by the Bomber Command Association.

  • Jonathan Coleman
  • Defence

Defence Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman is attending the annual Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore this weekend.

Dr Coleman will hold a range of meetings with his counterparts from around the world. He will meet US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, and a range of Defence Ministers from Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, the UK, France and Canada.

  • Jonathan Coleman
  • Defence

Defence Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman says the New Zealand Defence Force is improving its military capability in this year’s budget as it realises the benefits from the annual savings it has achieved.

“In the year to July 2013 the NZDF will deliver $190 million dollars in savings after achieving $140 million dollars in the year prior,” said Dr Coleman.

  • Jonathan Coleman
  • Defence

Defence Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman today announced the purchase of 200 new trucks for the New Zealand Defence Force.

In a $135 million project, the government is purchasing Rheinmetall- MAN military vehicles to replace the old NZDF Unimog and heavier Mercedes trucks.

“The new NZDF medium and heavy trucks will carry more people and equipment, and will be fitted with armour and weapons to protect the crew, allowing them to function effectively in modern military environments,” said Dr Coleman.

  • Jonathan Coleman
  • Defence

Defence Minister, Dr Jonathan Coleman, says the New Zealand Defence Force will conduct a series of deployments to assist the international anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden, Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman.

“Later this year the Royal New Zealand Navy frigate HMNZS Te Mana will join the Combined Maritime Force (CMF), which is the multinational task group designed to combat piracy in the region,” said Dr Coleman.

  • Jonathan Coleman
  • Defence

Labour MP, Phil Goff, has breached a Coroner's suppression order relating to the non-combat death of a soldier in Afghanistan says Defence Minister, Dr Jonathan Coleman.

"Mr Goff has tonight publicly released pages from a Court of Inquiry report into the death of a soldier in Afghanistan that is subject to a Coroner’s Court suppression order. He needs to explain why he's attached these pages to a press release in defiance of the Coroner's explicit instruction,” said Dr Coleman.

  • Jonathan Coleman
  • Defence

The Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Tonga, Lord Tu’ivakano, and Defence Minister, Dr Jonathan Coleman, have signed a treaty-level agreement that will build the relationship between the Tonga Defence Service (TDS) and the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF).

  • Jonathan Coleman
  • Defence

Defence Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman is meeting his Trans-Tasman counterpart, Australian Defence Minister Stephen Smith in Auckland this evening.

The two Ministers are holding a bilateral discussions before they both depart tomorrow to attend the inaugural South Pacific Defence Ministers Meeting being held in Nuku’alofa, Tonga.

  • Jonathan Coleman
  • Defence

Defence Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman says the latest Defence Force attitude survey shows morale is continuing to improve.

“The Labour opposition is referring to outdated survey data in an attempt to cast the Defence Force in a negative light. In fact the latest indicator results collated by the Defence Force are trending the right way,” said Dr Coleman.

“In the January to March quarter the survey shows morale, engagement, and intent to leave measures have all improved, reflecting an ongoing positive trend.”

  • Jonathan Coleman
  • Defence

Defence Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman says the government has approved the purchase of an upgraded and expanded Seasprite helicopter fleet for the New Zealand Defence Force.

  • Jonathan Coleman
  • Defence

Defence Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman says he welcomes the Labour Party’s acknowledgement today the Seasprite helicopter replaces a vital capability to the Defence Force.

The government has announced eight Seasprites (plus two spare airframes) will be purchased from the United States company Kaman Aerospace in a $242 million dollar deal, which includes a training simulator, missiles, and additional components.

  • Jonathan Coleman
  • Defence

Defence Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman says the Provincial Reconstruction Team has now completely departed from Kiwi Base in Bamyan, marking of the end of 10 years of service in the Afghanistan province.

“I’ve been advised by the Defence Force that the final contingent of CRIB 21 soldiers has departed Bamyan on a RNZAF C-130 plane for the Bagram Air Field. They will spend a further few days there packing and cleaning equipment before returning to New Zealand next week,” said Dr Coleman.

  • Jonathan Coleman
  • Defence

As the multi-agency search and salvage operation off the Kawhia coast draws to a close the Minister of Defence Dr Jonathan Coleman has commended the efforts of the NZ Defence Force, in particular the Royal New Zealand Navy.

“The recovery operation was a particularly complex task that required a high degree of interoperability between government agencies, and the NZ Defence Force for the search and subsequent recovery of the aircraft”, said Dr Coleman.

  • Jonathan Coleman
  • Defence

Defence Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman has held a bilateral meeting in Auckland today with Viet Nam’s Minister of National Defence.

The visit by General Phung Quang Thanh is the first to New Zealand by a Viet Nam Minister of National Defence.

“This was a welcome opportunity for a bilateral meeting and we discussed a broad range of defence-related issues in Asia Pacific, as well as opportunities for future co-operation in the region,” said Dr Coleman.

  • Jonathan Coleman
  • Defence

Defence Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman says the death of Private Michael Ross is a tragedy that must never be allowed to occur again.

The Court of Inquiry into the death of the soldier who drowned at Lake Moawhango during small boat training is examining all aspects of the incident.

“The Court of Inquiry isn’t completed. I’ll receive a copy of the report only after it has been before the Court’s Assembly Authority for comment and recommended actions,” said Dr Coleman.

  • Jonathan Coleman
  • Defence

Defence Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman says the new Chief of Army will be Major General Dave Gawn.

  • Jonathan Coleman
  • Defence

Defence Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman is attending the NATO-ISAF summit in Brussels this week to outline New Zealand’s on going commitments in Afghanistan.

“It is a useful opportunity to set out New Zealand’s small but valuable contribution to the international operation in Afghanistan after the departure of the Provincial Reconstruction Team in April,” said Dr Coleman.

  • Jonathan Coleman
  • Defence

Cabinet today agreed on New Zealand’s contribution to Afghanistan beyond the April withdrawal of the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) from Bamyan province, in line with the joint ISAF/Afghan transition plan.  

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully and Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman say New Zealand will continue to make a small but proportionate military commitment to the international mission in Afghanistan from May 2013, and that we remain committed to international efforts to improve the security and prosperity of Afghanistan.

  • Murray McCully
  • Jonathan Coleman
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Defence