The case for ‘made in New Zealand’ defence tech

The NZ Defence Force told the Productivity Commission that issues in supply-chain resilience need to be addressed. (Image: Getty)

Dileepa Fonseka

Mon, 10 Feb 2025

Advocates for New Zealand fostering a domestic arms manufacturing industry say it would leave the country less vulnerable to unstable supply chains, and they believe it could boost some of the non-military parts of the country’s economy, too. The NZ Defence Force (NZDF) expressed some support for ramping up a domestic industry in a submission to the Productivity Commission in 2023 on resilience. “Equipment produced at scale on the other side of the world may seem more attractive/efficient through whole-of-life costing mode...

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