The Ministry’s Long-term Insights Briefing was presented to Parliament today. The briefing focuses on how technology innovations are likely to influence New Zealand’s defence capabilities beyond 2035.
“Defence forces everywhere are confronting an unprecedented wave of technological change. These rapid advances are transforming defence capabilities, military operations and the nature of conflict itself,” say Anton Youngman, Deputy Secretary Strategy Management and Assessment.
“This briefing outlines the implications of technology-driven change for the New Zealand military context. It does not recommend specific capability investments, but instead assesses major trends and the likely opportunities and risks they will present.”
Long-term Insights Briefings are think pieces on important issues for the future of New Zealand. Under the Public Service Act 2020, agencies are required to produce a briefing every three years. These documents are prepared independently from Ministers.
In addition to meeting the Ministry’s obligations under the Public Service Act, the Briefing is also a deliverable of the Defence Industry Strategy.
To support the development of this briefing, the Ministry sought public feedback on the proposed topic and a draft version of the briefing ahead of final publication.
“Our sincere thanks go to all who contributed to this briefing through consultation and expert advice. We also acknowledge the support of NZDF Defence Science and Technology, whose technical expertise played an integral role in shaping this work,” Mr Youngman says.
