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Australia and New Zealand Sign “Plan Tasman” to Deepen Naval Cooperation
By Drooid · · How we work
Plan Tasman Naval Partnership Signed
On September 21, senior naval leaders from Australia and New Zealand formalised a new framework called Plan Tasman. The pact was signed by Royal Australian Navy Deputy Chief Rear Admiral Darren Grogan and Royal New Zealand Navy Deputy Chief Commodore Karl Woodhead in Sydney. The agreement sets out coordinated action across personnel, training, capability development, warfighting, engineering, regulation and international engagement, aiming to make the two navies operate more seamlessly in the Indo-Pacific region.
Historical Cooperation and Strategic Context
Maritime ties between the two nations date back more than 160 years, having been reinforced through both wartime and peacetime collaboration. Plan Tasman builds on the earlier “Tasman Navy Framework,” a strategic dialogue signed by the RNZN and RAN chiefs in November 2024. Officials describe the current security environment as “increasingly contested” amid a “deteriorating global security environment,” prompting a shift from traditional cooperation toward deliberate integration.
Official Statements & Responses
Rear Admiral Grogan said the pact “reinforces the longstanding maritime relationship” and will help the navies remain ready to operate side-by-side, supporting regional security, stability and prosperity. Commodore Woodhead emphasized that the strategic guidance is to “deepen and formalise the alliance,” noting the need to translate shared objectives into concrete action. The New Zealand Defence Force highlighted that the agreement will enhance collaboration, information sharing, training and operational alignment, strengthening the ability of both forces to meet shared challenges in the Indo-Pacific.
Verbatim Quotes
- “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,” — Rear Admiral Darren Grogan
- “Plan Tasman is exactly that, signalling a shift from a history of cooperation based on tradition to integration by design.” — Rear Admiral Grogan
- “Our strategic guidance is to deepen and formalise the alliance,” — Commodore Karl Woodhead, deputy chief
These statements capture the intent to move from a history of tradition-based cooperation to a design-driven, integrated naval partnership.