New Zealand Seeks Polar-Capable Shipborne UAS

New Zealand’s Ministry of Defence has opened market research for polar-capable uncrewed systems that could operate from Navy ships and conduct maritime surveillance. The request for information seeks industry capabilities and indicative costs for operations across the Southern Ocean and from New Zealand toward the equator. Potential missions include search and rescue and monitoring illegal fishing, with the work informing Maritime Fleet Renewal under the 2025 Defence Capability Plan. The exercise is an information-gathering stage for future business cases and Cabinet decisions, rather than an equipment selection, funded purchase or commitment to a particular system or delivery schedule.