New Zealand and Japan could collaborate on a bilateral space satellite while plans are firmed up for the two countries to join the Pillar II advanced capabilities program of the AUKUS alliance.
New Zealand Minister of Defence Judith Collins told reporters on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue that technological expertise in space and drones is among the capabilities that New Zealand could potentially contribute to Pillar II. She noted that New Zealand was third after the United States and China in the capability for vertical space launches in 2024. The minister also underscored the country’s advances in multi-domain drones, with Ukraine deploying swarms in the Black Sea to counter Russian warships.
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Collins said further cooperation between New Zealand and Japan could also result should their AUKUS membership materialize. In addition to the two countries, South Korea and Canada were also reported as being considered for AUKUS Pillar II membership.
Five Eyes Intelligence Sharing
Collins also mentioned that Japan already benefits from intelligence shared by the Five Eyes alliance of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. In November, Five Eyes held a conference in Japan, the first time a nonmember has hosted such a meeting, highlighting the country’s interest in joining the group focused on intelligence-sharing.
Since 2022, Japan and New Zealand have been negotiating an Information Security Agreement, or ISA, to streamline the sharing and handling of classified information. Collins said the countries forging the ISA are “closer than what some people might think,” with sources telling the Japan Times that the agreement requiring cabinet approval in both countries could be signed before the end of 2025.
The defense minister added that Wellington and Tokyo are also accelerating discussions on an acquisition and cross-servicing agreement between their militaries to facilitate increased bilateral and multilateral collaboration.