EDGE Defence is a New Zealand-based defense technology company headquartered in Auckland, with an Australian office in North Sydney. It provides defense forces and government customers with requirements development, design and engineering, global procurement and supply-chain services, equipment integration, in-service support, maintenance, consultancy, and project management across maritime, air, land, and information systems.
EDGE Defence has expanded its maritime capabilities through autonomous surface vessels, deployable mission infrastructure, equipment agencies, and the July 2026 acquisition of New Zealand Ocean Technology Limited (NZOT). The acquisition added underwater vehicles, remotely operated vehicles, autonomous systems, diving equipment, and specialist maritime capability to a business that already works with uncrewed surface vessels and modular mission systems.
Underwater Systems Expand Maritime Capability
NZOT has operated for 42 years and provides underwater vehicles, UUVs, ROVs, autonomous systems, diving equipment, and specialist maritime capability for the New Zealand Defence Force, New Zealand Police, and other government agencies. The business also maintains workshops at Royal New Zealand Navy Base Devonport and provides technical support for New Zealand operations and specialist deployments, including Antarctica. NZOT continues to operate under its established name following the acquisition.
The transaction also changed the leadership structure at NZOT. John Gell became general manager and a director, Jack Towers became Defence Services Manager, and EDGE Defence co-founder Andrew Edwards became chairman of the board. Gell is an EDGE co-founder and general manager with a background as a Royal New Zealand Navy marine engineering officer, while Edwards is the companyâs co-founder and managing director.
WHAI Brings Autonomous Surface Operations
WHAI is EDGE Defenceâs 3.4-meter all-electric, jet-powered uncrewed surface vessel. The platform has a maximum speed of 30 knots, a 350-kilogram payload capacity, Sea State 4 capability, and multi-week operational endurance. It supports autonomous waypoint following, return-to-home and box-patrol functions, as well as human-in-the-loop and remote operation through encrypted Starlink, 4G, or radio-frequency line-of-sight links.
The vessel was designed and built in New Zealand and reached water trials in less than 60 days. EDGE Defence lists a production rate of one vessel per day using established boat-building methods and offers WHAI for trials and procurement evaluation across the Indo-Pacific. The platform has an open 350-kilogram payload bay with 48VDC power for electro-optical and infrared sensors, radar, electronic-warfare equipment, communications relays, and other mission payloads. Its electric jet propulsion removes propeller cavitation and combustion exhaust, while the propulsion system uses closed-loop cooling and direct drive.
MODUS Links Vessels with Deployable Infrastructure
WHAI is designed for deployment through MODUS SWARM, which uses a 20-foot high-cube ISO container to carry 12 WHAI vessels and the equipment required to launch, recover, charge, maintain, and sustain them. The system can be transported by ship, truck, rail, or aircraft, with two container configurations available for WHAI deployment. The vessel can operate autonomously, with a human in the loop, or under remote control, depending on the mission.
The wider MODUS range includes a 20-foot AUV workshop with a command-and-control room and secure storage, a 20-foot USV workshop and delivery system, a 40-foot workshop with storage racking, lighting, power and security, a 20-foot C2 operations module, and a fire-rated 10-foot lithium-ion storage and charging system with hybrid charging and fire suppression. The containers are ISO 1496 stackable and CSC-certified for transport by C-130J aircraft, rail, road and ship, with a stated 20-year service life and provisions for technology insertion, configuration changes and mid-life upgrades.
Regional Supply and Integration
EDGE Defence operates as a regional representative and integrator for defense equipment manufacturers. The company is the New Zealand agent for DESMI marine and defense pumping systems, covering shock-rated centrifugal pumps, military off-the-shelf pumps, helicopter refueling systems, emergency fire pumps, fuel-transfer systems, ballast-water management systems, engine-room and seawater cooling, radar and electronics cooling, and customized pumping packages. The DESMI offering includes local stocking and in-country support, with EDGE Defence listed as a JOSCAR-accredited supplier and NZDF vendor-approved business.
The company also represents SH Defence and its Cube modular mission system across New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, and Australia. The Cube uses container-footprint mission modules for air, surface, and subsea capabilities and includes handling infrastructure for moving modules on decks, inside hangars, and through mission bays. EDGE Defence established its Australian subsidiary in Sydney in December 2025 and received agency rights for SH Defence across Australia, extending an arrangement that had previously covered New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Alongside these agency activities, EDGE Defence provides engineering and asset management, global procurement, maintenance and diagnostics, repairs and overhauls, consultancy, and project management for defense customers across maritime, air, land, and information domains.
ABOUT | ANDREW EDWARDS
Andrew Edwards, co-founder, is the managing director of EDGE Defence, a position he has held since August 2024. He is an experienced executive with a background in strategic business development, acquisitions, mergers, joint ventures, and business growth across industrial, infrastructure, and government sectors.
Before co-founding EDGE Defence, Edwards was CEO and founder of Shape Group Ltd, where he built the business through strategic acquisitions across energy, technology, and projects. Earlier, he served as chief operations officer at McKay Ltd, where he oversaw acquisitions and business expansion that increased the companyâs revenue and profitability. Across his career, Edwards has led the financial closure of more than 14 acquisitions and three business turnarounds.
