This is the first time operational German and Spanish military aircraft have visited New Zealand.

The three aircraft are A400M military turboprop transports, which carry out a range of air mobility tasks similar to those performed by New Zealand’s C-130 Hercules. 

Deputy Chief of Air Force, Air Commodore DJ Hunt, said that the Air Force rarely had the opportunity to host European aircraft and colleagues.

“This is a visit from three like-minded nations with whom New Zealand has established and friendly relations. We operate, at times, in Europe and we have great working relationships with our fellow aviators in these countries, so it is a real pleasure to welcome them to New Zealand and engage with them in our own country.

“The visit will give us a chance to further build connections and develop interoperability with those countries – this is key to building a solid foundation for when we work together in the future,” he said.

“It is especially timely in that they are all fellow members of the Movements Coordination Center Europe, which New Zealand joined earlier this year. This organisation provides its members access to the air transport of other nations, and has broadened the scope of the air transport options available to the New Zealand Defence Force, for moving personnel and freight around the world, within Europe, and in the Pacific.

“We have been warmly welcomed as a country that has strong relationships with the south-west Pacific nations, and the visit will help build those links.”

The opportunity to visit has arisen under the banner of the multi-national exercise Pacific Skies 24, the deployment of elements of the French, German, and Spanish air forces to the Indo-Pacific. The European air forces are in the region to engage with their partners and participate in exercises such as RIMPAC in Hawaii and Exercise Pitch Black in Australia’s Northern Territory amongst others.

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