NZDF tech upgrades a case of playing catch-up

Included in new defence spending is procurement of a fleet of helicopters able to operate from Navy ships, with the NZDF’s current Super Seasprite maritime helicopters reaching the end of their life. (Image: Getty)

Peter Griffin

Wed, 09 Apr 2025

With upgrades to marine helicopters, Boeing 757s, and light armoured vehicles on the horizon, the $9 billion of new defence funding includes some long-overdue big-ticket hardware items.But Tuesday’s release of the 2025 Defence Capability Plan also signalled numerous investments in drones, cybersecurity, software and space-based systems that mirror in a small way what larger nations have been spending on as defence goes high-tech.Going big on dronesThe war in Ukraine fundamentally transformed modern warfare by elevating drones from supplem...

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