Three heads

The key BRITANZ players meet at ADF HQ in Canberra.Photos by AB Phil Cullenen, 1JPAU

UK CDS Gen Michael Walker inspects Federation Guard troops with CDF Gen Peter Cosgrove and XO Army AFG Capt Greg Knowles.

THE biennial BRITANZ discussions between the Chiefs of the Australian, New Zealand and UK Defence Forces have been held in Canberra recently.

UK Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Michael Walker, New Zealand CDF AM Bruce Ferguson and CDF Gen Peter Cosgrove discussed global and regional security issues, defence cooperation programs and the Five Power Defence Arrangement.

Gen Cosgrove said although all of the discussions had been targeted at understanding each other's positions more clearly, sharing insights to improve operational effectiveness and keeping troops safer, the effects of the recent meetings would not be seen at ground level in the short term.

"There's probably not something that the soldiers will see in the next five minutes, but there is an undoubted spin-off for our people to operate more effectively and safer," he said.

He said the shared origins of Australia, New Zealand and Britain made close military alliance almost a forgone conclusion.

"It's easy to describe the traditional links, but the contemporary links have added a dynamism to the relationship and have invigorated it, because global terrorism affects us all.

"We've found ourselves operating in similar environmental and adversary threats in the same countries a long way from home – we've needed to talk professionally and not just reflect on bonds from times past."

New Zealand's AM Ferguson said high-level meetings like BRITANZ paid off when Defence personnel from the three nations worked together, as is the case on a number of operations, as well as exercises like the recent Ex Bersama Lima in Singapore.

"New Zealand has been engaged seamlessly with Australia in the Solomon Islands," he said.

“We would not have been able to operate in Iraq had it not been for our ability to integrate immediately and seamlessly with the British forces."

UK CDS Gen Michael Walker said the ease with which troops from the three nations could operate together sprang from their similar heritage.

"We all have the same birthright, we came from the same part of the 'Old Empire' – although it's unpopular to say so – we have the same traditions," he said.

"We have an interoperability of the mind and cultural ways of doing things in military terms that not many other armies do."