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Information and data management specialists in the New Zealand Army will help validate information to minimise the threat of data manipulation from foreign adversaries and help commanders gain an advantage on the modern battlefield.
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The specialists will employ artificial intelligence and analytic tools to validate information, with the New Zealand Defence Force explaining that the move was motivated by the need to ensure that data and information is not manipulated by foreign actors, including public available documents and imagery.
The IMSPEC trade will be housed in the Royal New Zealand Corps of Signals and will also support information exchange during inter-agency taskings such as humanitarian and disaster relief operations.
Specialists are expected to work alongside intelligence communities and support intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance tasks, and will undertake tertiary training at diploma and bachelor’s degree-level in information and data management.
With the proliferation of data on the modern battlefield, the new trade will be essential in supporting commanders and staff to dominate data-rich environments, project lead Major Peter Amyes explained.
“As a small Army, perhaps our greatest strength lies in our agility, where speed of decision making in the battlespace will enable us to act faster than our adversaries by accelerating our analysis, decision making and targeting processes.
“The IMSPEC positions us well to become what we call an Information Advantaged Force, using new data-centric capabilities such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).”
Project sponsor Lieutenant Colonel Jay McLeary noted that the new trade will be essential in ensuring that the New Zealand Defence Force is making quick and accurate decisions.
“Contemporary operating environments are seeing increasing amounts of disinformation and misinformation,” LTCOL McLeary further explained.
“Examples include GPS positioning and timing data being corrupted through deliberate manipulation, creating confusion or lack of trust in the accuracy of essential data.
“The IMSPEC’s role in aiding the validation of a data source is vital to intelligence and ensuring trust and confidence in data in support in decision making and executing operations.”
In January, the New Zealand Defence Force opened a new maintenance support facility to support military equipment in service with the New Zealand Army.
The 8,500-square-metre “Farrier Lines” facility, worth $50 million, was officially opened at the 3,000-personnel Linton Military Camp near Palmerston North late last year.
The facility replaces Second World War-era buildings and is expected to provide personnel with the capability to maintain and repair current and future Defence equipment. It now features an improved environmental footprint, underfloor heating, humidity, temperature controls, EV charging, solar panel, rainwater harvesting, drive-through bays, hydraulic vehicle lifts, rolling roads, a gantry crane and weapons range to test repaired small arms.
