Vector Scorpion gives Army new edge on battlefield

The military-grade drone improves the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF)'s ability to conduct reconnaissance and surveillance activities in environments that are difficult to access, such as combat zones or cyclone damaged regions.

Its primary purpose is to extend and improve situational awareness beyond line-of-sight.

The final UAS were delivered towards the end of 2024, with soldiers now fully up to speed with the system and its capabilities.

The three-metre wingspan of the Vector Scorpion, and its ease of quick assembly makes it a perfect addition to our soldiers on the front line. It can be operational within three minutes of being taken out of its portable case, and has a 35km range and three hour operating window on a single battery.

While the Scorpion Vector themselves won’t be armed, they provide a distinct advantage to the overall combat system, allowing high quality information to be shared from the battlefield quickly and efficiently.

Commanding Officer 16 Fd Regt Lieutenant Colonel Brent Morris says this latest piece of kit forms a key part of improved reconnaissance and surveillance across the battlefield.   

“The Vector Scorpion is mainly used as a small battlegroup UAS to provide security, reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition. It might be in the form of clearing routes, observing and monitoring targets, and providing real time information to our commanders on the ground to best inform their tactical decisions.

“It provides the NZ Army with a cutting edge piece of kit which means we can keep pace with the rest of the world in the ever evolving UAS realm. It also allows us to develop and grow our tactics and procedures so that we are more deployable more of the time.”

The capability will also allow the NZDF to be even more compatible and interoperable with our partners and ally in the information, surveillance and reconnaissance space. 

The Vector Scorpion UAS forms just one part of the New Zealand Army’s push towards a more modern and effective communication, planning and intelligence system, under its Network Enabled Army programme.

Alongside the small UAS, the NZ Army now has a full suite of uncrewed systems including micro and nano UAS as well as Remote Ground Sensor Systems – the latter three of which are operated by the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment.

“These new UAS systems will be used by the NZ Army across a broad range of tactical tasks to defend New Zealand and its interests. They will provide our commanders with real time information, to support decision making and will allow us to achieve an advantage over our adversaries,” said Land Component Commander Brigadier Jason Dyhrberg.

"The remotely operated systems are expected to reduce the risk to soldiers operating in challenging environments by providing timely and accurate information that enhances risk assessments and decision-making in the field."