Engineering centre at forefront of military communications systems opened
The Test, Reference and Evaluation Capability Engineering Centre, a state of the art engineering centre that will support the design, building, testing and evaluation of military communication systems and networks, was opened today by Defence Minister Ron Mark at Trentham Military Camp.
Mr Mark was shown how the $5.66 million engineering centre will support the Network Enabled Army (NEA) programme that is being introduced by a joint Ministry of Defence and New Zealand Defence Force integrated project team.
The centre contains workshop space for the testing and evaluation of communications systems, deployable tactical networks and vehicles.
Mr Mark said the engineering centre supporting the NEA programme marked an important milestone.
“Having high end Command and Control capabilities, and continuously improving them, is critical for the effectiveness of our entire Defence Force. These systems need to be compatible with those of our international partners”, said Mr Mark.
“The capability which has been delivered will be deployable and interoperable with joint interagency and multinational organisations. It will enhance New Zealand’s already strong reputation as a valued, credible defence partner.”
Ministry of Defence Director Land Domain Richard Burn says the centre will ensure more operationally effective land forces can deploy across the full range of operations required by the New Zealand Government.
“The Network Enabled Army programme gives our forces modern command and control capabilities, meaning they can make more informed decisions. Better command and control capabilities will greatly enhance coordination and collaboration during deployments with other government agencies, and coalition partners”, said Mr Burn.
“The engineering centre will be a major part of the success of this Programme, allowing the testing and evaluation that will ensure we’re delivering improved capabilities that are fit for purpose.”
