October 6, 2026
The naval forces of Australia and New Zealand are bolstering joint training, information sharing and operational alignment to navigate an “increasingly complex Indo-Pacific security environment.”
Under Plan Tasman, signed in September 2026, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) will deepen ties across sectors such as warfighting, engineering, regulation and international engagement.
“Plan Tasman builds on generations of cooperation between our navies and provides a practical framework to strengthen the way we train, operate and develop capability together,” said Rear Adm. Darren Grogan, the RAN’s deputy chief. The agreement “will help ensure our navies remain ready to operate side-by-side and respond to shared challenges in support of regional security, stability and prosperity.”
The pact comes as the nations, separated by the Tasman Sea, mark 75 years of alliance with initiatives to broaden defense integration. Canberra and Wellington have cited concerns over China’s increasing military presence undermining regional stability. A People’s Liberation Army Navy flotilla fired weapons in the Tasman Sea during unprecedented drills in early 2025, forcing commercial airlines to divert flights abruptly.
In mid-2026, the Australian and New Zealand armies renewed Plan ANZAC to boost bilateral training, deployments and operations. The forces first served together as the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) during World War I. In September 2026, the Royal Australian Air Force deployed its forward arming and refueling point capability overseas for the first time during the bilateral Exercise Agile Tasman at the New Zealand Army’s Waiouru Military Training Area.
Also in September, the nations announced agreements to expand cooperation in military space operations and defense science, including wargaming and experimentation.
“As our region becomes increasingly contested against the backdrop of a deteriorating global security environment, our strategic guidance is to deepen and formalize the alliance,” said Commodore Karl Woodhead, the RNZN’s deputy chief. “Plan Tasman is exactly that, signaling a shift from a history of cooperation based on tradition to integration by design.”
Both nations also are expanding security ties with Allies and Partners from South Asia to the South Pacific. In early 2026, New Zealand’s first resident defense advisor to India began his posting, while the nations’ armed forces agreed to cooperate in maritime security and naval logistics.
Australia signed a mutual defense treaty with Papua New Guinea in late 2025 as the neighbors integrate their defense forces.
Australia also is accelerating security initiatives under its AUKUS pact with the United Kingdom and the United States, including producing conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines and uncrewed underwater systems.
Plan Tasman reflects priorities outlined in the Anzac 2035: Operationalising the Australia-New Zealand Alliance statement signed in March 2026.
“Our two militaries are building deep interoperability and interchangeability, including through common procurement and development of platforms and systems,” the statement notes. “We will be force multipliers for each other and combine our military forces in defence of our sovereignty, shared interests, and common values, and territory.”
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Alliance between Australia–United Kingdom–United States (AUKUS)AustraliaForeign Partner CooperationIndiaMilitary Exercise and TrainingNew ZealandPapua New Guinea/PNG
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