However, it seems that, over the past few decades in particular, our anti-nuclear stance has evolved into a broader scepticism towards defence in general.
There seems to be little understanding that defence does not exclusively mean weapons and missiles, but in the operative sense it means to defend. New Zealand is not an offensive nation, we will never fire the first shot, but we cannot be so naive as to believe that we don’t need to defend ourselves.
And when did we start thinking that our servicemen and women were bad? I don’t believe we did, which means we believe defence people good, defence technology bad. Are we really willing to send our servicemen and women into positions where they’re not equipped to deal with modern war?
There is some wisdom in the old saying "don’t take a knife to a gun-fight".
You’d have to be living under a rock if you didn’t think we are currently living in the most geo-politically unstable time of our lifetime. War is being waged across economic, cyber and physical domains.
I think we need to get comfortable with having a wider public discussion and knowledge of defence and what New Zealand’s position is, as it can’t simply be "defence bad".
Defence in today’s world means keeping up with technology across all domains — with a particular emphasis for our island nation on marine, surveillance, communications, counter-weapons systems, and cyber-security. And one major domain that underpins most of these capabilities — space.
And we are world leaders in space, third for rocket launches behind America and China in 2024. We have the New Zealand Space Agency, the world’s first official minister for space and actively promote New Zealand as open for space to the globe. Encouraging space engineering pathways for our children is actively encouraged in schools. So space is good, but defence is still bad?
For me personally, this year so far has been full of defence.
Firstly, at the Satellite Show in Washington, DC in February, where there were literally dozens of countries and hundreds of companies showcasing their satellite and launch capabilities. And the race was clearly on to build domain expertise in space and uncouple the sector’s reliance on a certain billionaire, in order to ensure "security" of the domestic communications.
Then at the Avalon Airshow in Melbourne in March, where alongside the incredible aircrafts on display, there was a visible focus on non-lethal technology such as communications, electronics, cyber and counter-drone applications.
The airshow itself featured incredible acrobatics, awe-inspiring flyovers and pyrotechnic displays from the F-35s and F-18s, and I mean awe in the awful sense. It is really hard to reconcile the romance we’ve been fed on fighter jets via Top Gun-style movie mavericks when actually they’re just really efficient, terrifying, killing machines.
I don’t think New Zealand needs an F-35, but advanced radar and counter-missile technology is looking pretty essential after that experience.
Finally, I’ve been reading the New Zealand 2025 Defence Capability Plan (DCP) released by Defence Minister Judith Collins last month, which has gone largely unnoticed in general public discussion. But it’s a huge change in our defence position, a $12 billion investment, that the general public should be across and which I hope will bring greater respect for our defence forces. It’s actually a very readable document for a government-produced report.
What I like most about it is the significant and new focus on opportunities for New Zealand's industry to participate. The plan emphasises a partnership with local industry, with a focus on innovation and resilience.
From a technology development perspective, the DCP highlights the establishment of a technology accelerator to enable rapid development and deployment of advanced platforms and systems tailored to New Zealand's defence needs. Bridging the gap between prototype and service-ready capabilities, promoting innovation within the local hi-tech sector.
This strategic approach not only enhances national security but also stimulates economic activity, high value job growth, and technological advancement within New Zealand.
There’s no point saying defence tech is bad, as I personally don’t believe we have any other option. Bad actors are going to continue developing their defence capabilities and we need to build defence around our vulnerabilities.
At risk of massively simplifying the issue, it’s like your computer’s anti-virus program — you don’t just turn it off because you believe that since you don’t try to hack, no-one will hack you back. We continue to deploy new patches to our technology to defend against bad actors who develop viruses to attack our systems.
From a defence perspective, it’s no different. It’s not all about lethality; there is an enormous amount being spent on deterrents such as surveillance and electronics to neutralise drones and guided weapons.
• Sarah Ramsay is chief executive of United Machinists.
