Ahead of a deployment to Southeast Asia in the near future, soldiers from the 2nd/1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (RNZIR) recently sharpened their skills in close-country terrain. As they did so, they integrated and relied upon unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to perform their missions.
Asian Military Review observed approximately 80 soldiers from the battalion’s Alpha Company prosecuting Exercise Ngahere Strike on the West Coast of the South Island in early March.
Major Jono Healey, Officer Commanding of Alpha Company, 2/1 RNZIR, said the exercise conducted from 2-13 March followed a fictional Indo-Pacific scenario in “jungle terrain”, one based on the US-derived Decisive Action Training Environment (DATE).
After two days of acclimatisation and familiarisation, platoons conducted five-day fighting patrols to locate a free-playing enemy militia force, culminating in an attack on their base camp. After that came a live-firing serial in heavily forested country.
One of Alpha Company’s platoons will deploy overseas next month, and Healey said Ngahere Strike acted as “a skill-gap closure milestone for future exercises internationally and domestically, really honing in on that jungle warfare or fighting in complex terrain skill set”.
The Christchurch-based 2/1 RNZIR is a light infantry battalion, meaning forest, jungle and urban environments are their forte. The company also acts as a testbed for new equipment such as radios being introduced via the Networked-Enabled Army programme.
Importantly, the Kiwi soldiers integrated drones into the Ngahere Strike exercise, particularly Teledyne FLIR Black Hornet 4 nano-UAVs that it received within the past year.
Healey explained, “The company is currently equipped with a number of small intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) drones. These are used to provide early warning for troops moving through vulnerable areas, and to find and safely reconnoitre enemy positions.”
He described them as “a significant game-changer” because of the situational awareness they engender. They have become a staple of exercises – “whenever we go out the door, they come with us”.
Alpha Company also has access to various Skydio UAVs such as the X2D variant, but the Black Hornet was the ideal UAV for this exercise conducted in thick native forest.
Addressing the utilisation of UAVs in the NZ Army, Colonel Ben Bagley, Assistant Chief of Army (Plans), told AMR: “The NZ Army continues to evolve and advance its UAS capability in line with our ally and key partner militaries, and to maintain pace with the evolution of battlefield tactics.”
He noted, “While the in-service UAS capability of the NZ Army is currently limited to ISR, we’re continuously exploring systems that have greater utility, such as weaponised and supply drones, where the UAS is operated by personnel. This will be progressed through capability procurement and supply systems.”
Indeed, the NZ Defence Force announced a contract with Syos Aerospace on 26 February, which includes the SA2 reconnaissance drone and the SA7 that can potentially carry an explosive payload.
Another possibility for the NZDF is the SA200 heavy-lift unmanned helicopter, which Syos announced on 12 March had successfully completed a series of fully autonomous flight trials. It declared the SA200 now ready for series production.
The SA200 has been in development for five years, and is able to land on moving vessels or to perform expeditionary missions. It can carry a 200kg payload across a range of 180km. The SA200 is competing in the British Army’s Project Nyx, an effort seeking a “loyal wingman” for Apache helicopters.
The NZ Army also owns Vector Scorpion UAVs made by Quantum Systems, these used by an artillery unit.
Bagley shared too: “Work is progressing on bringing first-person view (FPV) capability into service, with a number of army personnel already incredibly proficient on the equipment. Courses have already occurred around 3D-built UAS, with further opportunities being explored alongside industry.”
Indeed, Alpha Company was trialling FPV drones from local firm KiwiQuads during Ngahere Strike, though these have not been rolled to the army out en masse. Fenix also provides FPV drones that can be 3D-printed and assembled on site.
Bagley confirmed the army is closely watching developments in Ukraine. “The ongoing war in Ukraine has changed the way drones are utilised in modern conflict, with increasingly novel methods of employment.”
He said New Zealand “continues to receive updates on the use of drones in Ukraine, which informs training and capability development. One way this is done is through the NZDF’s involvement in the Drone Capability Coalition, jointly led by the UK and Latvia. In addition to providing specialised drones to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, this 20-nation coalition also serves to provide members with up-to-date battlefield reporting as the use of drones continues to evolve.”
Healey noted that some of his soldiers have been involved in Operation Tieke, which trains Ukrainian soldiers in the UK. “We’ve brought back a lot of lessons around that, particularly around the use of drones, both in how they can be used effectively but also avoiding them.”
Bagley noted: “We’d note that UAS are not the answer in and of themselves. To modern conflict there’s still a strong requirement for modern and traditional capabilities to operate as an integrated combat system.”
Bagley concluded: “But what UAS offer in the current landscape – whether across ISR or strike – is an increase of options available to personnel and commanders on the battlefield, which can increase their effectiveness, soldier survivability and overall lethality.”
Discussing the value of Ngahere Strike, Healey concluded: “It’s good training because it prepares for a particular area of operations – the Indo-Pacific – where they’re likely to go on exercise. It really hones their soldier skills, because it’s uncomfortable and forces them to operate effectively.”
by Gordon Arthur
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