NZDF Targets Unexploded Ordnance In Papua New Guinea

Four New Zealand Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) operators have joined an Australian Defence Force-led operation to locate, identify and plan for disposal of Second World War-era ordnance in the East New Britain region of Papua New Guinea.

The Kiwis joined personnel from Australia, Canada, France, Japan, Papua New Guinea, the United States and United Kingdom for Operation Render Safe, an operation that has been targeting explosive remnants of war (ERW) left throughout the Pacific after the Second World War for over 20 years.

More than 25,000 people have been injured or killed in Papua New Guinea by ERW since the Second World War.

Captain C led the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) team working within Combined Joint Task Force Wallaby to reduce explosive threats facing the communities of East New Britain.

“Alongside our partners over three weeks, we have located, marked and indexed over 2800 items of Explosive Remnants of War and Unexploded Ordnance. These were primarily of US and Japanese origin and ranged from 75mm anti-aircraft shells to 500lb bombs to Type 93 torpedoes.

“Concurrently, we conducted an education programme at local schools to inform the children about the dangers of these items, as they are the ones who are commonly finding them while playing in the jungle.”

Operation Render Safe will return in 2026 to conduct disposal of the identified items.

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