International emergency exercise concludes in New Zealand

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WELLINGTON, Aug. 9 -- A multi-national emergency planning exercise involving about 70 military personnel from 18 countries has concluded successfully in Wellington, the New Zealand Defense Force (NZDF) announced Friday.

The 23rd Exercise Tempest Express for planning humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) was co-hosted by the NZDF and the United States Pacific Command, said a statement from the NZDF.

Exercise participants faced two scenarios: the first to plan the military contribution to a major earthquake in Wellington; and the second to provide HADR support to a major tsunami disaster in the Pacific.

Commander Joint Forces New Zealand, Air Vice-Marshal Kevin Short, said the exercise had more than met its goals.

"The planning work and associated discussions were invaluable. The results will make a significant contribution to developing how we plan and execute operations undertaken in response to situations such as natural disasters," Short said in a statement.

"In particular, the value of the input from the various contributing nations cannot be underestimated. Some of the people present had considerable experience in managing major crises, such as the 2011 Japanese tsunami and the building collapse in Bangladesh earlier this year, which killed over 1,100 people," he said.

The exercise involved military personnel from countries including Indonesia, Tonga, Bangladesh, Mongolia, Japan, Germany, Canada and Australia.

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