New Zealand has become part of a crucial initiative aimed at enhancing artificial intelligence capabilities in warfare, a move the United States describes as key to securing victory in future conflicts.
Project Arcadia’s goal is to develop a collaborative battlefield command system that aligns the US and its primary Five Eyes intelligence allies with the rapid attack capabilities demonstrated during the Iran war.
The office of Defence Minister Chris Penk indicated that cabinet approval for Project Arcadia’s funding would be pursued as part of ongoing digital modernization efforts.
A spokesperson stated, “This will enhance current NZ Defence Force systems for communication with Five Eyes partners, facilitating more efficient and secure information exchange between partners.”
The Pentagon has labeled Arcadia as “the operational imperative for our time,” aligning with the objectives of War Secretary Pete Hegseth.
“It is the digital backbone of our coalition, empowering our warfighters with data supremacy and decision dominance needed to prevail on today’s and tomorrow’s battlefields,” the Pentagon noted.
The NZDF affirmed its full participation in Arcadia but cited national security concerns as the reason for not disclosing specific tools or methods.
‘Deliver overwhelming strength’
The Iran war has illustrated that AI can accelerate targeting processes by up to 50 times.
While the Pentagon has pledged significant funding to AI, integrating these capabilities with key allies has posed challenges.
According to a spokesperson, Arcadia is set to resolve these issues.
“It is the foundation that will allow us to deliver overwhelming strength and decisive advantage,” they added.
Penk’s office mentioned that the project is currently in the information-gathering phase.
“NZDF is not yet using Arcadia,” the spokesperson confirmed.
The Five Eyes alliance is in a “sprint” to develop Arcadia. US defense media indicated that each nation must report their progress by November.
Aligns with Hegseth – Pentagon
Arcadia was announced following a Combined Digital Leadership Summit attended by defense leaders from New Zealand, the US, Australia, the UK, and Canada last month. Six NZDF personnel participated.
The Pentagon described the initiative as “forging the digital battlespace,” aligning with Hegseth’s advocacy for “peace through technical strength,” a nod to US President Donald Trump’s slogan, “Peace through strength.”
Penk’s office, when asked about sovereignty assurances, stated: “As with previous Five Eyes arrangements, each nation’s sovereign requirements are maintained.”
The NZDF emphasized the goal of improving information sharing while safeguarding sovereign data rights and interests.
“This framework allows partner nations to better protect their data and have greater control over data sharing,” the NZDF explained.
‘System of systems’
Previously, the Otago Daily Times reported skepticism from two local commentators who criticized Arcadia as “delusional” and lacking substance.
However, the Pentagon has been investing heavily in a “system of systems” approach since around 2022.
It has allocated approximately $350 million to joint command-and-control projects researching ‘Globally Integrated Operations,’ which simulate combined systems of partner nations. This is part of its ‘C5’ program.
Plans are in place to increase this investment by over five times by fiscal 2027, with significant portions directed towards expanding the AI-driven Maven smart system used in Iran.
Maven is essential for aligning technology with military goals, providing data integration, operational planning, and automatic target detection and analysis.
Japan’s military is the latest to incorporate Maven, as reported by Asahi Shimbun, which would require changing three key rules to integrate AI into its command-and-control processes. Australia, New Zealand’s ally, has also been testing Maven.
However, the NZDF has clarified that it is not considering adopting Maven.
Arcadia is not starting from scratch but builds on existing technologies like the INDOPACOM Mission Network (IMN), which was utilized during the Balikatan exercise in the Philippines, in which the NZDF participated earlier this year.
Last year, IMN replaced 20 separate networks and is expected to connect 23 countries by the end of this year. Prior to IMN, US commanders had to rely on swapping thumb drives or CDs, or even using “people looking at two different monitors” during multinational exercises.
Exchange layer
Arcadia’s technical design includes a data exchange layer built on existing Five Eyes systems, as reported by US defense media.
“This design principle was specifically requested by several nations, whose domestic acquisition rules and operational security constraints limit the pace at which national platform software can be updated or replaced,” the report stated.
This approach aims to address the challenges posed by varying data systems in terms of size and speed.
Penk’s office noted that Arcadia is part of the digital modernization investments outlined for 2025-28 in the Defence Capability Plan, although specific projects were not named.
The NZDF mentioned that partners have agreed to share designs to reduce costs.
Leading up to last November’s Five Eyes digital summit, the US and Canada signed a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) Cross-Certification Arrangement (CCA) for secure communications across their defense networks.
The summit addressed “data sharing across nations” and associated technologies, such as a Digital Targeting Web, according to Canada’s defense department.
The Digital Targeting Web under development in the UK “enhances the speed and efficiency of targeting, Command and Control (C2), intelligence, surveillance, and situational awareness,” stated the British defense department.
‘Dazzle, deceive, destroy’
Command-and-control (C2) systems link sensors—such as satellites and drones capturing images of targets or defenses—with weapons and decision-making mechanisms, all reliant on swift data sharing.
Arcadia is poised to transform “vast amounts of allied data” into a unified, real-time common operating picture, according to the Pentagon.
The goal of being able to “see, understand, decide and act through every single domain,” as expressed by US Indo-Pacific commander Samuel Paparo, is countered by efforts to obstruct the enemy’s ability to do the same.
Hegseth has consistently emphasized the importance of countering China’s “kill web” of sensors and shooters across the Pacific.
Paparo stated, “Our first priority is the ability to counter an adversary’s ability to see, understand, decide and act through every single domain, to be able to dazzle, to be able to deceive, to be able to destroy those components that allow an adversary to exercise decision superiority.”
The next Arcadia meeting is scheduled for November in Sydney.
