Minister of Defence Gerry Brownlee today announced the reappointment of the Chief and Vice Chief of the New Zealand Defence Force.

“The recently released White Paper foreshadows a significant period of modernisation of New Zealand’s armed forces, highlighting the need for continuity of effective leadership of the Defence Force at this time,” Mr Brownlee says.

For this reason Lieutenant General Tim Keating is being reappointed Chief of Defence until 30 June 2018, and Vice Chief of Defence, Air Vice Marshal Kevin Short, is being reappointed until 31 March 2019.

“I congratulate both Tim and Kevin on their reappointment,” Mr Brownlee says.

“New Zealand’s Defence Force is in good heart, due in no small part to the stewardship they provide.

“Stability at the top means the Defence force can continue delivering current military operations, while putting in place the right foundations to respond to tomorrow’s security challenges.

“The White Paper signals a range of new capabilities and priorities, including cyber and a focus on supporting New Zealand’s commitments to the Antarctic region.

“There is also a massive modernisation of equipment and infrastructure to be built into forward planning.

“Good leadership will be a key enabler to successfully delivering these programmes,” Mr Brownlee says.