NZ military preparing for civil unrest in New Zealand

You'd have to be very attentive and read your local rag or be awake in the middle of the night (as we were), and hear that part of the itinerary today of Prince Charles is this "PrinceCharles arrives in Westport to visit Defence Exercise SouthernKatipo" and then join the dots.

We decided to check and found that our glorious defence forces (sic) have been busy taking part international military exercises that seem to part of preparing for the breakdown of public order and martial law.

"The country's political state has slowly gotten worse over the past few years, with poverty, unemployment and low foreign-investment being key factors.

The first task of the Defence Force was to secure the country's only airport and the area surrounding it."

(the fictitious country of Becara).....

"A rebel militia in the Murchison backcountry, humanitarian crisis in the Marlborough Sounds and civil unrest across Tasman district will form the basis of a major New Zealand Defence Force exercise"

'Realistic' Defence Force exercise takes flight

Manawatu Standard,

2 November, 2015

The New Zealand Defence Force is not taking their latest exercise, Southern Katipo, lightly. 

A flight from Ohakea picked up close to 80 troops on Monday morning, officially beginning their month-long exercise, set in in the fictional country of Becara in Westport.

Troops set off for the fictional country of Becara, in Westport.

More than 2500 personnel from across New Zealand, as well as eight different countries, have joined the Defence Force for the exercise, which  began in late October.

NZDF

A flight from Ohakea picked up close to 80 troops on Monday morning.

Gunner Cody Lewis, from Palmerston North, was on the first flight of about five on Monday morning.

He said exercises like Southern Katipo were a key part for developing and implementing their skills.

NZDF

More than eight countries take part in Southern Katipo.

"It's always valuable.

"It prepares us to go overseas, you never stop learning."

From the 16th Field Regiment, he said when he joined the military he had these kinds of operations in mind. 

Part of the 1st Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment, the soldiers were initially charged with securing the airport.

Exercise director Colonel Martin Dransfield has spent the past 18 months preparing the exercise, which is supposed to reflect the most realistic situation possible. 

"We're playing the rules of engagement, as for real."

The Defence Forces' role will be about security and stability, which involves meeting with political, cultural and religious leaders in the community. 

As an agency of New Zealand's Government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and other government agencies to restore law and order.

Dransfield said working with the community was one of the first tasks in setting up the operation. 

Westport mayor Garry Howard said there were some logistical issues faced when setting up the exercise. However, the community had got behind it.

"We've had volunteer protesters, volunteer ministers, a whole lot of role-playing is going on to recreate a country that's got instability."

Dransfield said the difficulties, logistically, were all part of the scenario.

The size of the airport, the road's ability to support the military vehicles' weight and the local community were all variables that made the city attractive for the exercise.

He said the exercise and its variables were supposed to emulate similar ones faced across the world, so it was necessary for the Defense Force to use all of its tools to achieve the goal of securing the country. 

LIVE FROM BECARA

New Zealand has heeded the Becaran president's desperate call for help, as years of unrest come to a head. 

New Zealand and French troops were among the first to officially hit the ground in the South Pacific island nation.

The country's political state has slowly gotten worse over the past few years, with poverty, unemployment and low foreign-investment being key factors.

The first task of the Defence Force was to secure the country's only airport and the area surrounding it. Over the coming days reinforcements and supplies will follow. 

Combined joint task forces commander Commodore John Campbell said the primary tasks for troops was to secure all key infrastructural sites.

"We'll help provide the police with the back that they need.

"It's all about partnering."  
                                                                                                                    

He said they would be able to provide the necessary training, before moving into the hinterland, where a highland rebel group are based.   
   

"We hope to be able to do that in the next week or two."    
                                                                           

He said the high commissioner and all foreign representatives would be evacuated from the country on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the HMNZS Canterbury is north of Becara, providing humanitarian support for the country's internally displaced people, and to assist non-government organisations.

"The theme throughout is largely that they are very happy to see us here."

The ship should be able to assist the community until the Defence Force has established its base in Becara.

These exercises go back to April. 

A rebel militia in the Murchison backcountry, humanitarian crisis in the Marlborough Sounds and civil unrest across Tasman district!

Top of the South Defence Force exercise to test troops' response to crisis

A rebel militia in the Murchison backcountry, humanitarian crisis in the Marlborough Sounds and civil unrest across Tasman district will form the basis of a major New Zealand Defence Force exercise.

Army soldiers and Pinzgauers come ashore in Akaroa Harbour, Canterbury, during Exercise Southern Katipo in November, 2013.

Nelson Mail,

20 April, 2015

The Top of the South will play the part of a small South Pacific country on the brink of collapse requiring a United Nations mandate for international intervention during the training exercise in November.

Exercise Southern Katipo is the defence force's biggest exercise, involving more than 2000 military personnel and likely international participants from Australia, Canada, French Armed Forces of New Caledonia, Pacific Islands nations, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Martin de Ruyter

Exercise Southern Katipo lead exercise planner Colonel Martin Dransfield outside the Nelson Army Office.

Fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, ships, Light Armoured Vehicles (LAV) and other military vehicles and equipment will be used during the exercise.

Lead exercise planner Colonel Martin Dransfield was in Nelson on Friday to meet with Tasman police district commander Karyn Malthus and local iwi leaders in preparation for the operation. 

The exercise has been run every two years since 2011. The first exercise in February 2011 was cancelled as the defence force had to respond to the Christchurch earthquake.

It is designed to simulate a real crisis situation either in New Zealand or one of our Pacific neighbours.

Nelson Lakes, Marlborough Sounds and Westport will become the troubled, but fictitious, Bekara region.

"Within that there is this scenario based on a failing state," Dransfield said.

"A previous strong economy, the forestry, the coal, the gold mining are now not as successful so therefore you've got high unemployment which leads to a breakdown in law and order, criminal activity, which is then exploited for political reasons so it ends up with militia-type groups."

The exercise will start with military personnel being deployed as "actors" in Westport, Murchison, Okiwa Bay, Nelson Lakes and other locations across the district.

They will play the roles of members of the community, tourists, rebel militia and a minority group that has become isolated.

The defence force will then deploy at Westport by air and Titirangi Bay by sea in response to the crisis.

There will be three simultaneous scenarios. The first is a humanitarian crisis at Okiwa Bay where a minority group has been isolated and cut off from clean water, food and health supplies. Tourists would also be trapped in the area and require evacuation, Dransfield said.

The second is a rebel militia causing problems in the Matakitaki River area near Murchison.

And the third scenario of civil unrest would unfold at the Dip Flat air force field training facility near St Arnaud and also incorporate Rainbow Ski Area.

Dransfield said the exercise was as close as it gets to the real thing.

"To be world class you have to constantly train. The sporting analogy of the All Blacks or the Tasman rugby team, you can't just turn up on the day, you have to train hard to play well."

The public would also be asked to take part in the exercise by playing along with the storyline when defence force personnel arrive.

The communities that will be affected will be informed of the exercise via briefings, newsletters and flyer drops closer to the time.

Exercise Southern Katipo will start on November 2 and run until November 27, however the military "actors" will be embedded by mid-October.

And June.
Six hundred Kiwi troops to join massive training

exercise 

More than 40 army vehicles and two helicopters have been loaded on the HMNZS Canterbury in Wellington Harbour today in preparation for New Zealand's largest military exercise in 10 years.

This photo is from Waiouru in New Zealand

TVNZ News,

10 June, 2015

More than 600 Defence Force personnel will join 30,000 Australian and United States troops taking part in "Exercise Talisman Sabre", Australia's largest warfighting exercise.

It's to be held in Queensland and the Northern Territory and is the first time our forces have been invited to attend.

Acting Joint Forces Commander John Campbell says it's good to be aware of how our forces would work with their foreign counterparts should military action be required.

He says it will test our troops across the board from humanitarian aid situations to medium level combat.

The New Zealand Defence Force wants its involvement in the biannual fixture to continue.

The HMNZS Canterbury, with 22 light armoured vehicles and two NH90 helicopters on board, will set sail for Brisbane on Sunday.