Latest news with #combatreadiness
RNZ News
21-07-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Defence Force cuts 255 civilian roles to focus on front-line personnel
(File) NZDF is cutting 255 civilian roles to help it focus on front line personnel. Photo: Supplied / New Zealand Defence Force The Defence Force is cutting 255 civilan roles as part of a restructure. The agency said it is getting rid of 281 filled roles but establishing 276 new ones, meaning five currently filled positions will be axed. The remaining 250 jobs to be cut are currently vacant. The restructure was announced earlier this year , in March, when it was thought the net loss of roles would be about 370. In a statement, NZDF said the changes would help it focus on "maintaining combat readiness and delivering on core military activities". "In making decisions, the NZDF has consulted with staff and unions, and the feedback received has meant some changes that were initially proposed will not go ahead." Further consultation is still underway on alternative proposals, it said. "Throughout this process, the NZDF has ensured that as many staff as possible are placed into suitable alternative positions in the new structure." The Public Service Association said about 10 percent of the agency's civilian jobs were being cut and that the changes would increase already heavy workloads. This would lead to more stress and burnout, and force those in uniform to pick up the shortfall, it said. National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said the government was fooling itself if it thought cutting so many jobs was how to build a modern, combat-ready defence force, at a time of rising security risks. She was pleased the government was investing in military equipment and technology , but said it was blind to the fact that civilian defence workers - like engineers and IT specialists - were needed to support this. Fitzsimons said staff were told the tough fiscal environment has forced Defence to make deep cuts in a number of areas, including cancelling some training activities and major exercises; reducing flying hours, sea days and other training, and; pausing property maintenance. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
CNA
28-06-2025
- Sport
- CNA
Sustained excellence celebrated at annual SAF Best Unit Competition
Sustained excellence is being celebrated at the annual Singapore Armed Forces Best Unit Competition. There were repeat winners from last year across the Army, Air Force and Navy, as 30 military units were recognised for combat readiness and operational proficiency.
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Wiltshire Army officer takes part in huge international exercise near Russian border
A British Army officer is taking part in a major international military exercise close to the Russian border. Captain Sabrina Lucas, 27, is serving as Company Second in Command (2IC) with the 1st Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (1 LANCS), and is currently deployed in Estonia as part of Exercise Hedgehog. The operation is a large-scale, multinational exercise involving 17,000 troops from 12 nations, and is designed to test the combat readiness of the Estonian armed forces and allied support in the event of a Russian attack. Read more: Two arrests for alleged sex offences after police raid at industrial estate firm Captain Lucas, who was born in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, now lives in Bath with her partner. Her parents live near Chippenham. She said: "We don't exist in isolation, we never can. "The second you think you exist in isolation, you become weaker, and you lose impact. "So, if we want to maintain our strength, as a sovereign nation, we need to understand that friendships are critical and it's important to maintain those in both good and bad times." After graduating from the University of Nottingham with a degree in politics and international relations, she joined the Army and commissioned as an officer in December 2020. She said: "I originally applied to be a soldier and then through soldier recruitment they recommended I went to Army officer selection main board." Since then, Captain Lucas has built a varied career. She said: "A good one is the Platoon Commanders Battle Course at the Infantry Battle School in Brecon. "It was very challenging, but I was proud to have done it, and it's stood me in very good stead since. "I've been an instructor at the Infantry Training School in Catterick for the last two years and really enjoyed that. "When I was a Platoon Commander, I got to go on Exercise Khanjar Oman which was fantastic. Read more: Beyonce visits Cotswolds in helicopter to house hunt with Jay-Z "I was playing OPFOR (an opposing force representing the enemy) and we got chased through the desert by an F35 and an Apache while we were cutting around in a civvy HiLux vehicle. "This is the fun highlight of my time in the Army to date." Exercise Hedgehog ran from May 9 to 24 and focused on the rapid deployment of allied forces to Estonia. Captain Lucas explained her role: "As company 2IC, I'm essentially the control while the Officer Commanding (OC) is the command. "I make sure everyone gets off in good order and goes to the right place. "I need to have an overall understanding of the company in the Battlegroup picture and ensure the Brigade knows where we are and what we are doing." The British Army demonstrated its ability to deploy a large force to a NATO ally bordering Russia in less than 48 hours, using road, rail, sea, and air. Captain Lucas said the exercise tested the resilience and morale of the troops. She said: "We're out here for up to 12 days with unknown enemy intentions, and we just need to motivate the troops to continue soldiering and continue establishing a good defence without knowing what's going on." Her regiment, 1 LANCS, formed a battlegroup in the Nursipalu training area in south-east Estonia, conducting urban and woodland combat training. The company constructed trenches in the Estonian forest, similar to those used by Ukrainian soldiers. Read more: Tributes paid to 'warm and positive' man, 30, killed in skydiving accident The trenches were designed to help the troops hold their positions against simulated attacks from other NATO forces, involving drones, pyrotechnics, blank ammunition, and flares. Exercise Hedgehog also served as a mission rehearsal for the Forward Land Force (FLF), enabling UK and allied forces to deploy and operate together on NATO's eastern flank. The British Army's 4th Light Brigade Combat Team, known as 'The Black Rats,' led the deployment. The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, known as The Lions of England, recruits from across the North West, including the Pennines, Mersey, Isle of Man, and up to the Scottish border.
South China Morning Post
02-06-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
China adds aerial refuelling to pilot training in move to boost combat readiness
China's air force has introduced aerial refuelling to its pilot training programme as the People's Liberation Army tries to step up combat readiness and long-range capabilities. Advertisement The move was highlighted in a report by state broadcaster CCTV on Friday that included footage from a PLA training video. It showed instructors from the PLA Air Force's Shijiazhuang Flight Academy piloting two J-10 fighter jets in a refuelling drill, supported by a YU-20 tanker. The J-10 – seen as China's answer to the American F-16 – has a two-seat variant for advanced fighter and strike training. Another variant, the J-10CE, was used by Pakistan to down French-made Rafale jets in combat with India's military near the disputed Kashmir region last month. The YU-20 tanker can offload up to 100 tonnes of fuel in a single sortie. Photo: Xinhua According to the CCTV report, the academy plans to expand the refuelling training in phases. It said the goal was to round out combat readiness training and better prepare pilots for operational requirements and the demands of the battlefield. Song Zhongping, a former PLA instructor, said it was a significant step for the air force as it tried to cultivate real-combat capabilities from the earliest stage in a pilot's training. 'Previously, such training was limited to experienced operational units,' Song said. 'Now it's moving upstream into pilot education. That opens a new path for building a strategic air force with global reach.' Advertisement He said the programme would help pilots to develop 'a long-range operational mindset early in their careers'. 'It will reduce the interval between graduation and combat readiness, significantly boosting the military's ability to rapidly produce a battle-ready talent pool.'
Japan Times
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
North Korea's Kim leads missile test, stresses nuclear force readiness
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised a test of a short-range ballistic missile and long-range artillery on Thursday and stressed the importance of combat readiness of the country's nuclear forces, state media reported Friday. The test, which also included an inspection of the operational reliability of its "nuclear trigger" system, was designed to ensure the rapid response posture to counter the sensitive regional military climate, the official Korean Central News Agency said. South Korea and Japan on Thursday reported multiple ballistic missiles were fired from North Korea's east coast in what was believed to be a performance test of short-range missiles that had been already deployed. KCNA said the 600 mm multiple launch rocket systems and tactical ballistic missile Hwasong-11 were mobilized for the test. Hwasong-11 is known internationally as KN-23, a series of the North's short-range ballistic missiles that Ukraine and Western officials have said were being supplied to Russia and used by Moscow to strike Ukraine. Ahead of the missile launches, there was an inspection of a nuclear defense system, dubbed by the North as "nuclear trigger," KCNA said. "Kim Jong Un said that it is very important to steadily perfect the normal combat readiness of the nuclear force to deter war and fight war," KCNA said. "He said that the DPRK should continue to direct efforts to steadily improving the long-range precision striking capability and efficiency of weapons systems," KCNA said, using the short form for the country's official name. A South Korean military official and an analyst said Thursday's missile launches were was likely to test the performance of a short-range missile arsenal, possibly to upgrade them for export.
