Kiwi troops bound for Middle East to help Australians

Kiwi troops and a C-130 Hercules aircraft are being deployed to the Middle East for two months at the request of the Australian Defence Force.

After a trip last week to Camp Taji in Iraq with the Chief of Defence, Lieutenant General Tim Keating, Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee announced yesterday that the Cabinet has approved a short-term deployment which would involve up to 30 military personnel.

The Hercules is being deployed at the request of Australia to ‘‘provide additional capacity during a period of high operational tempo’’.

‘‘I am pleased the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) can provide this assistance, considering the significant support we receive from the Australian Defence Force in Iraq and New Zealand’s other deployments in the region,’’ Brownlee said.

‘‘The aircraft will carry out logistics flights in support of New Zealand and Australian operations, including carrying people, equipment and supplies to Iraq, Afghanistan, South Sudan and the Sinai Peninsula.’’

This is the fourth time a Hercules has been deployed to the region and the estimated cost of this mission is about $1.3 million and will not require additional funding, Brownlee said.

In June last year the Government extended the NZDF deployment to Iraq by another 18 months to November 2018.

Short-term training was also extended to include another secure coalition base at Bemaya last year – until then Kiwi troops had all been based at Camp Taji.

The Government approved five NZDF personnel based at Taji head to Al Taqaddum Air Base, west of Baghdad, to deliver training to Iraqi soldiers for short stints of about two weeks at a time.

It is also expected Kiwi troops will move to even more locations in the future.