Syos Aerospace, a tech start-up originating in New Zealand, has won an important contract from the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF). The award covers a portfolio of unmanned platforms for the air, land and sea domains.
The contract is significant, not because of its size, but because the NZDF is putting its faith in local technologies and expertise.
As Sam Vye, CEO of Syos, pointed out to Asian Military Review, “This is the first substantial [NZ] contract that actually has some weight really behind it.” He described it as strategic for the country, plus it is valuable to Syos as it represents “the stamp of approval of our home country”.
The contract incorporates the following platforms: the SG400 unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), the SM300 unmanned surface vessel (USV) and the SA2 reconnaissance drone and the SA7 one-way effector.
The SG400 is a 6×6 vehicle possessing a 200km range and payload capacity of 400kg. As for the SM300 USV, it can carry 300kg payloads.
Announcing the deal on 26 February, Defence Minister Judith Collins affirmed, “We’re partnering with New Zealand businesses to ensure the defence force can protect our people into the future,” adding that the Syos platforms will “enable access to mission-ready, combat-proven technology”.
The NZDF said the army and navy “will conduct trials in a range of scenarios, such as transporting supplies, performing maritime patrols and completing route reconnaissance”. Collins added, “This will inform future capability decisions on a technology that has rapidly become central to modern military operations.”
Vye confirmed these platforms will be used for structured experimentation and evaluations, including developing concepts of operation. “The NZDF’s programme of structured experimentation aligns strongly with how we operate – working shoulder to shoulder with customers and end-users to develop solutions that move beyond traditional approaches, to tackle complex, real-world challenges.”
No details have been released on quantities or dollar value, but Vye shared, “We’re laser focused for minimum viable capability. We don’t really give two hoots about exquisite, and we really go after the minimum viable capability requirement. What that means is the vehicles can deliver the capability, but the cost is really cheap – an order of magnitude more cost effective than our American competitors.” He emphasised that the capability-to-cost ratio is very important for nations such as New Zealand.
As the new Syos platforms are rolled out in coming months, local firm Sysdoc was contracted to supply training support, and Hirtenberger Defence Technology for advanced systems support. The NZ Army is exploring integration of Hirtenberger’s Arcfire fire control system and an indigenous battle management system on its unmanned platforms.
The CEO said countries “must listen to what’s happening in Ukraine and any of the other conflicts around the world, because the rate of change of technology is so quick”. He said it is wise to “purchase a few vehicles of the latest technologies and trends to learn how to use them”.
He made a second point that countries can either stockpile for deterrence, or develop the industrial capacity to rapidly build such systems. Of course, “This contract isn’t about stockpiling, this isn’t about industrial capacity. This contract is about really providing them low-volume units across multitude of vehicles and domains, really just to understand more and grow their own capabilities.”
Syos attempts to avoid bespoke components, and is agnostic in terms of subsystems and sensors so as to avoid supply chain problems.
This deal also reinforces the country’s Defence Industry Strategy published last year, one aim of which is to boost local defence industry capability and involvement.
Drones and USVs from Syos are being utilised in combat by Ukraine. For example, its interceptors are countering Shahed drones flown by Russia. Last year, the company produced around 140 USVs too, many likely destined for Ukraine.
Furthermore, Syos has a presence in the UK, supplying a batch of 7.2m-long Rattler USVs to the Royal Navy. Furthermore, it was one of seven companies shortlisted in January for the British Army’s Project Nyx, which is seeking “wingman drones” to accompany Apache attack helicopters.
Asked about which parts of the world his company is currently targeting, Vye said, “I won’t go into too much detail on that for commercial reasons, but we’re very heavily focused on the Asia-Pacific region as well as Europe.”
Syos was founded just four years ago, and won the 2025 NZ Hi-Tech Company of the Year award.
by Gordon Arthur
