New Zealand defense minister to help shepherd military-integration push with Australia

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Chris Penk this week became New Zealand’s 44th minister of defense, replacing Judith Collins who is retiring from politics. Penk will also take over Collins’ Space, Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) and New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) portfolios. Penk is the first defense minister to have previously served with both New Zealand and Australian forces. He joined the Royal New Zealand Navy in 2000, serving as an officer of the watch on the Anzac-class frigate HMNZS Te Kaha. He joined the National Party and was elected to Parliament in September 2017. The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) is currently experiencing a significant increase in integration with the Australian Defence Force (ADF), aiming for an increasingly integrated, interchangeable force by 2035. This initiative, formalized earlier this year, involves embedding personnel in each other’s units, shared capability development, and synchronized training to operate as a “joint force” in response to a deteriorating security environment. For example, Royal NZ Air Force units have been operating under ADF call signs, while embedded within Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) units.The two nations aim to operate seamlessly together by 2035, serving as force multipliers for one another while maintaining sovereign independence. Australian and New Zealand officers are serving in senior positions in each other’s command structures. The NZDF’s operational expansion is not lim…