The 2025 Defence Major Projects Report has been released, outlining nine major procurement programmes and projects.
“Within a situation of intensifying strategic competition, global and regional tensions, and increasing and intensifying natural disasters, our geographic isolation no longer provides the insulation we might once have relied on. Along with the effects of the changing climate, we need capability that can protect and advance our sovereign interests and enable us to meet our Alliance obligations while also addressing our vulnerabilities to challenges such as transnational organised crime, illegal fishing, maritime security threats, and the risks caused by cyber intrusions,” the report states.
The 2025 report, the 16th in the series, was presented to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Select Committee today. It covers the following programmes and projects:
Air domain
• Air Surveillance Maritime Patrol: A fleet of four P-8A Poseidon aircraft have been delivered and are in service. New infrastructure has been completed and is supporting the capability’s operations. The project is also delivering a flight training simulator, infrastructure and other elements to support the capability.
• Future Air Mobility Capability – Tactical: A fleet of five C-130J-30 Hercules have been delivered, and training and support equipment. A flight simulator is also being delivered.
• Operational and Regulatory Aviation Compliance Sustainment: A series of phased projects are addressing changes to the technological and regulatory aviation environment, ensuring that the NZDF’s air operations are effective, safe and secure.
Maritime domain
• Frigate Sustainment Communications: Part of the ongoing programme of work to ensure the frigates remain operable until the end of their service lives; equipment is being replaced to ensure ongoing interoperability with partners and other capabilities recently acquired for the NZDF, such as the P-8A Poseidon.
• Frigate Sustainment Programme (now called Frigate Life Extension): A multi-phase programme to enable the Anzac frigates’ service life to be extended.
Information domain
• Fixed High Frequency Radio Refresh: replacing the NZDF’s existing high frequency radio system.
• Updating Classified Digital Services: supports the modernisation of New Zealand Defence Force’s classified environment.
Land domain
• The Network Enabled Army Programme: This includes projects delivering C4 and Reconnaissance and Surveillance capability, and the Bushmaster Communications project.
• Protected Mobility Capability Project: Delivering the Protected Vehicle – Medium capability, replacing the armoured Pinzgauer fleet with a fleet of NZ5.5 Bushmaster vehicles, along with spares, ancillaries and a training package. This project is also delivering Operational Utility Vehicles.
The full report is available here.
