New Zealand, Australia sign pact to deepen naval cooperation

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — The Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) and the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) signed “Plan Tasman” in Canberra this month, formalizing a blueprint for integrating the two neighboring sea services.

A follow-on agreement to the November 2024 Tasman Navy Framework (TNF), the new pact is meant to be a strategic guidance document governing the relationship between the two navies, a NZDF spokesperson said.

“It established the strategic dialogue architecture, defines the overarching goal of strengthening organizational and operational integration, and outlines the functional areas of cooperation,” the spokesperson told Defense News.

One new element includes an annual navy-to-navy strategic dialogue, led by the two deputy service chiefs, complete with working group devoted to various cooperation tasks, according to the spokesperson.

The new pact supports both nations’ commitment to closer defense relations and a shared vision of increasingly integrated naval cooperation aimed at securing the Indo-Pacific region.

Established in 1901, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has 16,000 sailors — about eight times more than the RNZN — and eight bases. The RNZN has one base, Devonport, in Auckland. Women provide about 25% of the personnel in both navies.

Seven Anzac-class 387-foot frigates serve with Australia and two with New Zealand. The frigates, like most of the RNZN fleet, will reach their end of life in the mid-2030s.

In April 2026 the RAN signed a contract for 11 Mogami-class frigates. New Zealand has yet to decide between the Japanese design or Britain’s Type 31 frigate, ordered by Indonesia and Poland.

In August 2025, the RNZN ordered five MH-60R Seahawks to replace its existing Kaman Seasprites, which have been in service since 2001.

New Zealand is also strengthening its regional defense links.

In December 2025 New Zealand signed defense agreements with Japan. Two Japanese warships visited New Zealand last year and a Mogami-class frigate was in Wellington in May this year.

Two months later, India and New Zealand signed a defense cooperation agreement and pledged to strengthen maritime security cooperation after upgrading their diplomatic relations.