Good morning Graeme

 

Your request below has been received and a decision on your request will
be provided as soon as possible and no later than 24 March 2026. Responses
to requests for information that are considered to be in the wider public
interest will be published on the New Zealand Defence Force website
([1]www.nzdf.mil.nz).

 

Regards

 

Corporate and Ministerial Services
Office of the Chief of Defence Force
New Zealand Defence Force | Te Ope Kātua o Aotearoa

[2]www.nzdf.mil.nz

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Graeme Doull [mailto:[FOI #33846 email]]
Sent: Tuesday, 24 February 2026 7:50 p.m.
To: Ministerial Services <[NZDF request email]>
Subject: Official Information request - Defence Science and Technology
(DST) Expenditure and Drone Prioritisation

 

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Dear New Zealand Defence Force,

 

I am writing to request information under the Official Information Act
1982.

 

I request the following information held by the New Zealand Defence Force
relating to Defence Science and Technology (DST):

 

1. Total DST expenditure

For the a recently completed 12-month period (whatever is practical for
example a full finacial year), please provide:

 

The total expenditure for DST, including personnel costs (wages and
salaries).

 

2. Drone-related research expenditure

For the same 12-month period, please provide:

 

The total expenditure (including personnel costs) on drone or uncrewed
systems-related research and development undertaken by DST.

 

Ideally please provide a breakdown of this expenditure by operational
domain as follows:

a. Land domain – including ground-based and airborne drones primarily
intended to influence land operations.

b. Sea domain – including surface, sub-surface, and airborne drones
primarily intended to influence maritime operations.

c. Air domain – drones primarily intended for air operations that are not
already included within the land or sea domains.

 

Where a system or research programme may apply to multiple domains, please
attribute expenditure to the domain where the majority of its intended
operational use is expected. If it is not reasonably practicable to
allocate expenditure in this way, please advise and provide the total
drone-related expenditure without domain breakdown.

 

3. Direction and prioritisation

 

I am interested in understanding if DST has been formally directed to
prioritise drones.

 

Please provide:

 

Copies of any formal direction, guidance, prioritisation statements,
tasking orders, strategic documents, or written instructions issued within
the last 24 months to DST relating to drones or uncrewed systems.

 

Any documentation outlining the prioritisation of drone or uncrewed
systems research within DST work programmes.

 

If any part of this request is likely to be refused under the Act, I ask
that you provide the remaining information where possible and specify the
grounds for withholding under the relevant sections of the Act.

 

If clarification or refinement of scope would assist in processing this
request, I am happy to engage.

 

Kind regards,

 

Graeme Doull

 

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