RNZAF Squadrons at Full Stretch Across the Pacific; P-8A Locates Three Kiribati Fishermen
Royal New Zealand Air Force squadrons have been delivering for the country during a busy operational period across New Zealand, the Pacific and the wider Asia-Pacific region, the New Zealand Defence Force said on October 14, with every operational squadron flying in recent times.
"It's been a great time for our Air Force," said Chief of Air Force, Air Vice-Marshal Darryn Webb."Every one of our operational squadrons has been flying in recent times in support of New Zealand and our partners, from the central North Island to the Pacific and across the Asia-Pacific region." Air Component Commander Air Commodore Andy Scott said that over a four-day period, there were personnel and aircraft on operations, exercises and providing contingency responses across Niue, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Tuvalu, Papua New Guinea, Kiribati, Vanuatu, Singapore, Australia and the United States, as well as at home.
Recent activities included crew from No. 5 Squadron flying a P-8A Poseidon on a search and rescue mission in the Pacific, successfully locating three Kiribati fishermen on a small boat to the east of Tarawa. Flight Lieutenant Stuart Glendinning said the three men had not returned from fishing and were located well over 160 nautical miles from shore, four days after the engine on their dinghy had failed. "We remained on the scene after finding the men and coordinated a rescue by a vessel nearby," he said.
While that mission was underway, No. 3 Squadron crews flew NH90 helicopter search and rescue training with New Zealand Police personnel, and two NH90s were deployed to Hawaii on US Air Force C-17 aircraft to exercise with Indo-Pacific partners at the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center. No. 40 Squadron deployed a C-130J Hercules to deliver a Fire and Emergency New Zealand fire appliance to Niue, and No. 42 Squadron personnel conducted maritime patrols on an MC-12K King Air in Vanuatu in support of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency. A P-8A also joined Five Power Defence Arrangements partners on Exercise Bersama Lima in Singapore, and No. 6 Squadron Seasprite crews, embarked on HMNZS Te Mana and Aotearoa, continued flying as part of Operation Crucible, a five-month regional presence deployment across the Asia-Pacific.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: P-8A"海神"巡逻机在新西兰参加"Kuru Kuru"行动演习（资料图）。图片来源：Wikimedia Commons，U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Glenn Slaughter 摄，公共领域
