The New Zealand Army has begun training to operate its recently-accepted unmanned aerial systems for tactical and humanitarian applications.
The initiative is part of Wellington’s Network Enabled Army program, which seeks to modernize intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and communication assets, improving their situational awareness and beyond-line-of-sight capabilities.
According to New Zealand’s defense agency, the proficiency effort will encompass preparations for austere domains with limited access, including complex combat zones and cyclone-affected regions.
The systems being used by the army’s training program were procured in December 2023 and include the Vector small, fixed-wing drone, which has a 35-kilometer (22-mile) range and three-hour flight time, the Skydio quadcopter microdrone with a range of 10 kilometers (6 miles) for 35 minutes, and the Black Hornet nano drone that can be concealed in a pocket and deployed in less than 20 seconds.
In addition to the systems, the military is practicing with Bertin Exensor Flexnet RGS Systems, which incorporate suites of wireless and battery-powered sensors for collecting acoustic, seismic, and infrared data.
Wellington noted that the drones will be operated according to the country’s defense and civil aviation rules. The government also emphasized that the fleet would not be armed.
“The new systems will be used by New Zealand Army units deployed on stability and security operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions, and search and rescue deployments,” Defence Capability Delivery Deputy Secretary Sarah Minson stated.
“The remotely operated systems are expected to reduce the risk to soldiers operating in challenging environments by providing timely and accurate information that enhances risk assessments and decision-making in the field.”