New Zealand Defence Force

• Taqtile, a leader in digital modernization and AR-enabled work-instruction technologies, will be featured in several locations at the upcoming I/ITSEC conference in Orlando, Fla.
• The company’s Manifest ® platform, which provides augmentation for warfighters, will be showcased in the I/ITSEC exhibits of multiple partners and customers.
• Booth demonstrations will illustrate how Manifest helps warfighters get back in the fight when equipment failures occur in combat.
• Manifest can also be accessed via a browser, permitting use by devices that are already in the hands of warfighters today.

• But there has been one major election area missing the serious debate it needs: foreign policy.
• So here are some of the questions any incoming administration should be able to answer to the satisfaction of voters.

Defence and security

• Having recently deepened military relationships with Australia and Japan, New Zealand needs to be clear about whether it will join “pillar two” of the AUKUS security pact between the US, UK and Australia.
• Directly related to the AUKUS question are the hard military implications: who or what would New Zealand fight for?
• Were the US and China to square off over Taiwan, with Australia (New Zealand’s only formal ally) drawn into such a conflict, would New Zealand send military help?

Ukraine and defence budgets

• Does this continue or ramp up, or does the level of aid depend on what New Zealand’s allies do?
• Further to that, what is New Zealand’s official position on what peace would look like for Ukraine?
• Related to that is the uncertainty over US commitment to supporting Ukraine, given some Republican resistance.
• More specifically, would any extra spending see the New Zealand Defence Force adopt militarised artificial intelligence technologies?

Trade and sanctions

• Regional trade integration has been disrupted, with a shift towards unilateral trade policies and agreements.
• Will New Zealand continue to support the use of sanctions outside the United Nations’ system (such as those imposed on Russia), and will it consider extending sanctions to countries for grievous human rights abuses (such as those imposed on Iran)?

Climate and foreign aid

• New Zealand’s overall performance is rated “highly insufficient” by the independent Climate Action Tracker.
• Where does New Zealand stand on mechanisms such as the Green Climate Fund, the world’s largest multilateral fund dedicated to helping developing countries address the climate crisis, and will it increase pledged funding for it?
• And would it support the creation of a regional development bank or cooperative aid projects with China?

• It resulted in Germany’s first ever official national security strategy.
• While some countries, such as the United States and Britain, have had serious national security strategies in place for a long time, for others it takes a shock.
• The suite of documents released today – including a first ever national security strategy – provides the answer.

A new security strategy

• The national security strategy, Secure Together-Tō Tātou Korowai Manaaki, along with a new defence policy and strategy statement, rounds out this revised New Zealand worldview.
• A soon-to-be-released threat assessment from the security intelligence agencies will complete the picture.
• While the new assessments and strategic statements come from different state agencies, they nonetheless speak clearly and coherently about the risks to New Zealand’s security.

1. Geopolitical uniqueness

• The first consistent theme concerns New Zealand’s uniqueness.
• It is a liberal, multicultural democracy based on a bicultural relationship and te Tiriti o Waitangi/Treaty of Waitangi.

2. Times are changing

• While no one challenge is expressly prioritised, there is a clear emphasis on geostrategic competition and the threats to a rules-based international system.
• There are also unpredictable but significant risks – especially economic ones – from those tensions, even without a descent into military conflict.
• Read more:
  The most significant defence review in 40 years positions Australia for complex threats in a changing region

3. Partnerships matter

• The most important relationship is with Australia, which is also rapidly upgrading its defence capabilities.
• The newer multinational security partnerships – namely AUKUS and the “Quad” (US, India, Japan and Australia) – are mentioned.
• Read more:
  ANZUS at 70: Together for decades, US, Australia, New Zealand now face different challenges from China

4. Realism over China

• But the new strategies and assessments repeatedly highlight the challenge of China.
• While peaceful cooperation in areas of shared interest is deemed desirable, China is also recognised as being major driver of geopolitical change, especially in its willingness to be more assertive and willing to challenge existing international rules and norms.