Ukraine soldiers train in use of drones during the conflict with Russia. Photo: Dmytro Smolienko / NurPhoto / NurPhoto via AFP
The NZ Defence Force (NZDF) says it is learning "immediate lessons" about the use of drones from the technology's deployment in Ukraine.
Tauranga company SYOS Aerospace has just announced a $67 million drone deal with Britain, and has advised governments not to buy drones not tested on the battlefield against Russia.
But former defence minister Ron Mark [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/558087/defence-force-to-embark-on-drone-shopping-spree recently questioned if the NZDF was heeding the lessons other countries were learning.
The defence force said it was a "false claim that the NZDF is not plugged in".
New Zealand pledged $4m last year to get attack and surveillance drones to Ukraine, as part of the multinational Drone Capability Coalition
"New Zealand remains an active member of the coalition, and this has provided the NZDF an opportunity to gain an up to date understanding of drone technology development in the current conflict, and to learn immediate lessons from Ukraine that will be of great value as the NZDF scales up its drone capability," a NZDF spokesperson said in a statement.
The NZDF also met with SYOS to learn about its advances and "get their perspective on how the NZDF can best work with New Zealand industry", it said.
"It is important for Defence to understand the advances being generated by high-tech New Zealand industry, and how those developments might relate to current and future defence capability."
Other lessons come through drone-racing competitions. Australia's defence force has a racing association, saying it helps build "technology and skills that can be used on the battlefield".
The NZDF said the army had a drone racing team and both Navy and Air Force had remote pilots who were drone racers.
The new defence capability plan includes spending $200m-$450m on short and long-range aerial and marine drones by 2029, although this includes the whole-of-life costs of maintaining whatever it buys.
The plan also discusses setting up a technology accelerator unit, but the NZDF would not say when that might happen.
The government has cleared the way for it to add combat drones to its current small stable of surveillance drones.
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