Southern Katipo
A task force restores order
What would happen if an island nation in our region suffered civil unrest and a humanitarian crisis? That's the premise of New Zealand’s largest military exercise, Southern Katipo where we train alongside other nations to become a coalition combat force, helping to restore law and order in the fictional nation of Becara,
The five week exercise, hosted by New Zealand, can involve up to 13 Pacific countries coming together as a Combined Joint Task Force. The scenario they face is civil unrest among ethnic rivalries, which has degenerated into violence.
In 2017’s exercise, the Royal New Zealand Navy ranged from Kaikoura to the Marlborough Sounds and Nelson, patrolling the fictional nation of ‘Becara’, which had became the on-the-ground hotspot for soldiers from Fiji, Chile, Brunei, Malaysia, Timor Leste, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, as well as small groups from Australia, Canada, the United States, France and Britain.
With the Government of ‘Becara’ unable to cope, the Combined Joint Task Force has to evacuate non-combatants in the Marlborough region, counter the militia, and intercept shipments of drugs and arms, before retaking towns on the West Coast that have fallen under militia control. The Navy’s role is to transport evacuees to a safe location, and intercept drug and gunrunners attempting to supply the enemy forces.
For this exercise, local volunteers step forward to act as refugees in need of transport from areas of fighting. Aid agencies, non-governmental organisations, NZ Police and Government departments process the displaced persons, adding to the realism of the exercise.
The long duration of the exercise tests the Navy's resilience in every area from communications to logistics, giving confidence the Navy can operate effectively as part of a joint task force in a similar situation in the South West Pacific.
The exercise also has the long-term benefit of creating and strengthening of relationships with militaries from other countries. In 2017 Timor Leste and Chile participated for the first time.
There is also substantial participation from agencies such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Ministry of Health joining Customs, the Ministry for Primary Industries, the NZ Transport Authority, Immigration New Zealand, district health boards, the Red Cross and St John New Zealand.