New Zealand is deepening ties with US Space Force, despite China tensions

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The  US military’s Space Troopers’ badge features  the phrase, in Latin “Fortune favours the bold”. 

But given the US’s anti-China rhetoric, how bold can Kiwis afford to be in this partnership? 

America aims to maintain space superiority to protect national security interests from strategic threats it perceives in space, especially from China and, to a lesser extent, Russia.  

Currently Minister of Defence and Space Judith Collins says New Zealand’s (the fourth busiest rocket launcher globally, tied Russia and India) involvement falls short of posturing against China.

However, while documents suggest that NZ focuses on non-military help even as the US’s mission objectives grow, NZ’s involvement is still increasing.

NZDF has participated in secretive space wargames and sent analysts to the Combined Space Operations Centre (CSpOC) under USSPACECOM. 

They have joined with allies in the space surveillance network Operation Olympic Defender. They have also participated in the Combined Space Operations (CSpO) initiative for nearly a decade. 

An Official Information Act (OIA) request revealed that New Zealand’s Auckland-based and largely US funded Joint Commercial Operations (JCO) coordinates the Pacific part of a global network. JCO sets out to achieve “space domain awareness”. 

Read more over at RNZ