National Security Strategy

• In envisioning a more central role for the ANZAC alliance with Australia, and possible involvement in the AUKUS security pact, it is recalibrating New Zealand’s independent foreign policy.
• At the inaugural Australia-New Zealand Foreign and Defence Ministerial (ANZMIN) meeting in Melbourne earlier this year, the focus was on future-proofing the trans-Tasman alliance.
• But the stage for this shift in New Zealand’s independent foreign policy had already been set by the Labour government in 2023.

In or out of AUKUS?

• It flourished in a historically rare era of muted great power rivalry and unprecedented economic globalisation.
• These historic positions, recently put forward by former National leader Don Brash and former prime minister Helen Clark, have run their course.
• Read more:
  The defence dilemma facing NZ's next government: stay independent or join 'pillar 2' of AUKUS?

Labour on the fence

• New Zealand’s participation will invariably strengthen the ANZAC alliance.
• This is something the Labour opposition will need to consider carefully.
• Having asked for a national foreign policy conversation while in government, it is now signalling disquiet over AUKUS membership.

The future of independent foreign policy

• Before the Beijing Olympics in 2008, China enjoyed a generally positive relationship with a range of countries across Asia and the Pacific.
• If New Zealand’s elected government determines that AUKUS is in the national interest, then it must seek the broadest consensus possible domestically.
• We are entering a new era for New Zealand’s independent foreign policy, one that includes a rebooted ANZAC alliance, with a possible AUKUS dimension.

Nicholas Khoo has received research funding from the Australian National University, Columbia University, and the Asia New Zealand Foundation in Wellington. He is a Non-Resident Principal Research Fellow with the Institute of Indo-Pacific Affairs in Christchurch.

• DataTribe , a global cyber foundry that invests in and co-builds next-generation cybersecurity and data science companies, today announced a $2 million seed investment in Vigilant Ops , a leading automation platform for the generation, maintenance, and authenticated sharing of certified Software Bill of Materials (SBOM).
• Vigilant Ops will use the funding to expand the capabilities of its InSight platform across multiple critical infrastructure industries.
• Leo Scott, DataTribe CTO, will join the Vigilant Ops Board.
• The most recent release of the InSight Platform now includes automated import of various SBOM formats, supporting industry standards like CycloneDX and SPDX.

• This public-private technology hub will connect the Midwest's world-class academic institutions, prominent corporate leaders, and government partners, unlocking transformative microelectronics capabilities.
• "The partnerships forged with Ohio’s business, academic and community leaders have resulted in bringing this prestigious hub to the Midwest.
• Currently, the United States leads in microelectronics design but accounts for only 12% of global microelectronics production, with the bulk of microelectronics production occurring in Asia.
• What sets the Midwest Microelectronics Consortium apart from other models is its structure as a new 501(c)6 nonprofit with a role-based membership approach.

• This unique deal, worth more than A$1 billion, is driven by the demands for a rapid German rearmament after the strategic shock of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
• Germany doesn’t have adequate military production capacity to meet its suddenly pressing new defence needs.
• Then, if necessary, an airborne air defence fighter aircraft could be vectored to intercept the intruder.
• With this move, Australia will now share the burden of continual air patrols in Eastern Europe made necessary by the Russian invasion.

Bringing Germany and Australia closer together

• As part of the contract, the Australian government mandated Rheinmetall build the majority of the vehicles in Australia.
• The new Boxers being built for Germany will be based on the Australian Army’s reconnaissance vehicle design, but given a different name: “heavy weapon carrier infantry”.
• The Boxer deal helps to bring Germany and Australia closer at a time when Berlin is increasingly interested in Indo-Pacific defence matters.
• And later this month, Germany will send more than 200 soldiers to participate in the
  Talisman Sabre, a large, multinational, military exercise in eastern Australia.

Why the deal matters to both countries

• For Scholz, buying vehicles from the factory of a German arms manufacturer in Australia is more attractive than buying US-made arms.
• Moreover, the deal would seem pivotal in ensuring Rheinmetall Defence Australia is now chosen over South Korea’s Hanwha to build 129 new Infantry Fighting Vehicles for the Australian Defence Force (ADF).
• For Albanese, the Boxer deal is one of Australia’s largest defence export orders ever, which will create hundreds of jobs.
• However, the deal will have some direct effects on the defence force in the short term.

Could more deals be forthcoming?

• These deals were announced even before the NATO summit, so could there be more to come?
• Australia is reportedly in negotiations to potentially give up to 41 old Hornet fighter jets to Ukraine.
• Ukraine is apparently interested in the retired jets, if perhaps only to spur others into gifting it a much larger number of F-16s.