New Zealand unveils defense budget, with Army in the lead

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — New Zealand’s military will receive about NZ$5.3 billion (U.S. $3.3 billion) under the country’s 2023/2024 defense budget, unveiled May 18.

Last year, the New Zealand Defence Force received about NZ$4.9 billion. Inflation to December 2022 was just over 7%, according to Statistics NZ .

New Zealand’s Army has the largest share of funding among the armed services, receiving NZ$1.1 billion. The Army received about NZ$1.1 billion last year.

The government is allocating about NZ$1 billion — compared to NZ$941 million last year — to the Royal New Zealand Air Force.

The Royal New Zealand Navy is set to get about NZ$714 million — an increase from last year’s NZ$667 million.

An additional NZ$574 million will go toward protecting New Zealand’s territorial sovereignty and contribute to regional and global security efforts. And more than NZ$30 million is meant to assist with “the employment of New Zealand’s Armed Forces overseas, and to enable the provision of military capabilities overseas.”

The Government Communications Security Bureau, which specializes in gathering intelligence from electronic communications, is to receive almost NZ$402 million — a 25% increase from last year.

The Defence Ministry is set to get about NZ$1.3 billion for the “procurement of major military capabilities.” This includes NZ$605 million for five new C-130J-30 Hercules airlifters to replace the existing C-130H fleet, which has been in service with the Air Force since 1965, and almost NZ$14 million for P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft . The third P-8A of four ordered is to arrive in New Zealand on May 19.

The budget also includes more pay for military personnel, with increases ranging from NZ$4,000 to NZ$15,000, beginning July 1 and costing NZ$419 million over four years. Defence Minister Andrew Little said the increase has led to the withdrawal of some resignation letters .

The budget for resource and border protection operations increases from NZ$610 million to NZ$634 million.

A domestic effort that partly supports public awareness of the proficiency and practice of the military will receive a modest increase from NZ$62.1 to NZ$64.2.

Budget documents noted that the funding increase this year follows obsolescence-driven serviceability issues that caused the unavailability of SH-2G(I) Seasprite helicopters, thus reducing naval aviation readiness, and the inability to service Boeing 757 engines, leading to a reduction in strategic air mobility readiness.

Nick Lee-Frampton is the New Zealand correspondent for Defense News.

新西兰惠灵顿——根据新西兰 5 月 18 日公布的 2023/2024 年度国防预算，新西兰军方将获得约 53 亿新西兰元（33 亿美元）的拨款。

去年，新西兰国防军获得了约49亿新西兰元的拨款。根据新西兰统计局的数据，截至2022年12月，通货膨胀率略高于7%。

新西兰陆军在各军种中获得的经费份额最大，达到11亿新西兰元。陆军去年获得的经费约为11亿新西兰元。

政府将向新西兰皇家空军拨款约 10 亿新西兰元，而去年仅为 9.41 亿新西兰元。

新西兰皇家海军预计将获得约 7.14 亿新西兰元的拨款——比去年的 6.67 亿新西兰元有所增加。

另有5.74亿新西兰元将用于保护新西兰的领土主权，并为区域和全球安全做出贡献。此外，超过3000万新西兰元将用于协助“新西兰武装部队在海外的部署，以及在海外提供军事能力”。

专门负责从电子通信中收集情报的政府通信安全局将获得近 4.02 亿新西兰元的拨款，比去年增加了 25%。

国防部将获得约13亿新西兰元用于“采购主要军事装备”。这笔资金包括6.05亿新西兰元，用于采购五架新的C-130J-30“大力神”运输机，以替换自1965年以来一直在空军服役的现有C-130H机队；以及近1400万新西兰元，用于采购P-8A“海神”海上巡逻机。订购的四架P-8A中的第三架将于5月19日抵达新西兰。

预算案还包括提高军人薪酬，从7月1日起，军人薪酬将增加4000至15000新西兰元不等，四年总支出为4.19亿新西兰元。国防部长安德鲁·利特尔表示，此次加薪导致一些军人撤回了辞职信。

资源和边境保护行动的预算从 6.1 亿新西兰元增加到 6.34 亿新西兰元。

一项旨在部分提高公众对军队技能和实践的认识的国内举措，其拨款将从 62.1 新西兰元略微增加到 64.2 新西兰元。

预算文件指出，今年的资金增加是由于过时导致的可用性问题，这些问题导致 SH-2G(I) 海妖直升机无法使用，从而降低了海军航空兵的战备能力；此外，波音 757 发动机也无法维修，导致战略空中机动战备能力下降。

Nick Lee-Frampton 是《国防新闻》驻新西兰记者。