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New Zealand's top military science secrets are attracting million-dollar investments from allied defence forces. The
US Navy has agreed to buy six Kiwi-created diver training systems in a
seven-figure deal. Now,
the New Zealand's Defence Technology Agency - the main provider of
research, science and technological support to the New Zealand Defence
Force and the Ministry of Defence, including the SAS - is preparing to
take another secretive project to the next level. The
DTA believes it has created the world's first fully-portable unit for
measuring ship signatures, the acoustic, pressure, magnetic and seismic
"footprint" of a vessel. The signatures allow a ship to be
picked up by enemy radar and, potentially, underwater mines. After
more than 20 years of research and development, the DTA has been able to
shrink a unit the size of a 20ft shipping container into something
relative in scale to a wheelie-bin. Its
value, financially and to human life, could prove colossal. It is
potentially destined for action with British and American forces in the
Persian Gulf. "We'd
like to work out the signatures of our ships to find ways of either
minimising or disguising them, because they're used by unscrupulous
people to trigger mines," Garry Armstrong, the DTA's trials
officer, said. "Most
people think that stealth stuff is special to submarines and planes, but
they're doing a lot of work in designing stealth elements into ships,
especially to do with radar and infrared. "There
is nothing on the market like this at and the US and the UK are
keen." The
sensors can be launched by just two crew members and Armstrong estimated
the units would be worth about US$500,000 ($750,000) each. Various
technologies the DTA has previously designed have attracted the interest
of the US Navy and the Royal Navy. DTA
director Dr Brian Young said for a relatively small military entity,
being able to commercialise target technological developments was vital. The
agency has an annual budget of about $10 million, the majority spent on
the salaries of its 80-plus staff. "The
kinds of investment we've already seen from the United States are
significant," Young said. "It
earns international respect for the Defence Force and is useful in
strengthening relationships with allied nations." Earlier
this week, American military officials travelled to New Zealand and met
counterparts from here, the UK, Australia and Canada to discuss
space-sharing activities and increasing military partnerships. American
officials spoke of existing and future operations. "Coalitions
and partnerships represent a necessary step within national security
that increases transparency, strengthens deterrence, improves mission
assurance, enhances resilience and optimises resources across
participating nations."
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