Cutting edge technology made at the Devonport Naval Base has been sold to the US... Cutting edge technology made at the Devonport Naval Base has been sold to the US... Read more posts and click here

MILITARY MINDS: DTA director Brian Young, left, with trials officer Garry Armstrong who has been developing the diver training system in a workshop at the Devonport Naval Base.

The Defence Technology Agency, the science and technology arm of the New Zealand Defence Force, employs 80 civilian staff to cater to the needs of the army, navy and air force.

A move to commercialise intellectual property generated by the DTA, that began in November last year, has already borne fruit.

The US Navy bought six diver training systems and further inquiries have been made into new avionics technology.

The diver training systems, also known as METRES (Maritime EOD Training, Ranging and Evaluation Systems), are made up of a replica mine that sits on the seabed and reacts when divers approach it.

Sound, pressure and magnetic sensors trigger different reactions to mimic an exploding mine. If a diver does not approach it correctly The Last Post begins playing from the METRES" underwater speaker.

DTA director Brian Young says a 45-year alliance between international military forces, including the US, provides shared access to the minds of thousands of top defence scientists.

He says the US Navy"s acquisition of the diver training systems is proof that New Zealand can produce world leading technology.

"Huge organisations like the US Department of Defense are working all the time to source the very best technologies available and in this case they have found that in what we have to offer."

While the sale has generated significant revenue, Dr Young says it is just a "byproduct of our main purpose, to ensure the safety of the New Zealand Defence Force".

The DTA base houses offices, labs, workshops and IT suites within a secure compound in Devonport.

As part of the commercialisation process DTA staff are developing avionics technology that can also be used in a non-military capacity, such as surveying crops, electricity lines and mine sites from within a small remote controlled aeroplane.

Upgrades are also taking place across the entire fleet of Anzac class frigates. Small scale models of the ships" bridge and operations rooms have been produced using 3D printing to help with the redesign.

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