New Zealand reduces EMAC to data fusion effort

The NZDF plans to procure the RQ-20B Puma for integration into the proposed Data Fusion System alongside new P-8A maritime patrol aircraft. (AeroVironment)

The New Zealand Ministry of Defence (MoD) is set to engage with industry suppliers in May to inform the evaluation criteria and scope for a new Data Fusion System (DFS) for maritime domain awareness.

A request for proposal (RFP) is expected in June-July 2023, but the DFS was originally supposed to be the first phase of the MoD’s now defunct Enhanced Maritime Awareness Capability (EMAC) project worth NZD300–600 million (USD184–368 million).

However, the MoD has insisted that EMAC has not been cancelled.

Anton Youngman, deputy secretary of defence policy and planning at the MoD, told Janes, “Defence is continuing to work on the EMAC programme, with an indicative business case for phase one under way. The first phase of this project is focused on a data fusion system – referred to as the All-of-Government Maritime Domain Awareness (AOGMDA) project.”