Defence quiet on Australia's role in Five Eyes AI program Arcadia

What happened

New Zealand joined Arcadia in May after being warned it could be cut off from Five Eyes information exchanges, and expects the build to take six years. Arcadia was the centrepiece of the Combined Digital Leadership Summit, a four-day meeting of Five Eyes defence digital chiefs that closed at the Pentagon in May.

As New Zealand puts six-year build on Arcadia participation. Home News Technology Security Defence quiet on Australia's role in Five Eyes AI program Arcadia By Juha Saarinen Oct 13 2026 6:52AM As New Zealand puts six-year build on Arcadia participation.

Key points Defence has declined to say how much Australia is spending on Project Arcadia, the US-led effort to pool Five Eyes military data into an AI-ready battlefield picture. Australia is preparing to host the next round of Arcadia talks in Sydney in November, with Defence chief information officer Chris Crozier receiving the carved Māui's hook ceremonial taonga from his United States counterpart for the purpose. The extent of Australian involvement in Project Arcadia remains unclear however.