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February 7, 2025 4 mins

BussinessDesk reports sources say supply issues meant the country got down to its last 50 rounds of artillery ammunition.

NZDF is adamant it has the stock it needs - but isn't answering whether supplies got so diminished. 

Former Defence Minister Wayne Mapp says if stocks get too low, training stops.

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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now, ammunition stocks at the New Zealand Defense Force allegedly
got so low that the country was left with just
fifty rounds. The Defense Force says it's incorrect information, but
refuse to say if stocks have ever been that low.
Serious supply issues have affected ammunition stocks around the world,
and one hundred and five millimeter ammunition New Zealand users

(00:20):
saw prices rise by six hundred percent between twenty twenty
and twenty twenty four. Former Defense Minister Wayne mapp is
worth me now high.

Speaker 2 (00:30):
Hello, Francesca, fifty rounds?

Speaker 1 (00:32):
How likely is it that stock's got that low?

Speaker 2 (00:35):
I'm pretty skeptical they got that low. In fact, the
NZDF is actually denying that they haven't told us how many,
and I guess that's good reasons why they wouldn't task.
It might be true, however, that stock's got a bit low.
There's not good about that.

Speaker 1 (00:50):
Can you just explain to me what is fifty rounds?
What does that mean?

Speaker 2 (00:54):
Well, it's basically, you know, there's six guns in an
artillery battery. They fire about two or three rounds each
per minute, so you can you can work it out
there essentially one training exercise and you're done. Half an hour.

Speaker 1 (01:09):
What is the lowest our stocks could go.

Speaker 2 (01:13):
Well, I would actually think it'd have to be in
the thousands of rounds would be prudent. You wouldn't want
it to go any lower than that.

Speaker 1 (01:21):
So how concerning is this potentially that we've got these
low stocks. Obviously we have some obligations when it comes
to security and things in the Pacific.

Speaker 2 (01:34):
Well, it's also just amount of training. I mean, if
you get too low, you can't train. Look, I'm sure
there's been some corrective action done on all of this.
I can't imagine it's as low as that now. But
with the government's got a defense capability plan coming up.
Part and parcel of that will be readiness and reading

(01:56):
us as logistics as much as anything else.

Speaker 1 (02:00):
Why do we use one hundred and five millimeter ammunition
when it's a lower caliber than the world's standard and
what most people use.

Speaker 2 (02:08):
Well, bigger armies have bigger formations, they have more depth.
We've got a small army really just two regular force battalions,
and therefore our ranges are much less. Also in the Pacific, generally,
you know you're doing about irelands, You're not talking about continents.
So it makes sense that New Zealand is going to

(02:28):
have a lower caliber weapon because we've got a smaller army. Therefore,
you don't operate in these big formations of large countries.

Speaker 1 (02:36):
Okay, that makes sense. But then of course we saw
the prices rise so drastically, which I presume is because
there's not a huge amount of demand for them.

Speaker 2 (02:44):
Well, that'll be true right across the board for all munitions.
I mean, Ukraine has been burning through try rounds like
nobody's business. And that's all types, not just the one
oh fives, but one fifty fives as well.

Speaker 1 (02:57):
So should we switch to one fifty five milimeter since
it is use more widely? Would that make sense?

Speaker 2 (03:03):
I think you need to put a that would require
careful thought. It's kind of a different doctrine to what
we're used to. Now. Other countries have made the switch,
but even with the lightweight one fifty five millimeter gun,
it's still you know, literally twice the weight four point
two tons compared to two tons, and that means it's
far less transportable.

Speaker 1 (03:23):
Okay, I was thinking it might be helpful if you know,
Australia was able to resupply as if need be, But
for you it's more of the sort of how useful
that that gun is for what we need our defense.

Speaker 2 (03:37):
Well, complementary roles are actually pretty important for Australian news.
Sometimes New Zealand does things that Australia doesn't do, but
you know, they're much whether they are a continent sized country,
they have a different expectation to eat Way.

Speaker 1 (03:52):
Matt, Thanks so much for your time. Appreciate your expertise
on this.

Speaker 2 (03:56):
For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to
news Talks it'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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