Lightning lands on friendly soil

Exercise Agile Tasman took place in Ohakea, NZ, from September 7 to 10, and included the first landing of an Australian F-35A Lightning II on New Zealand soil.

Working with the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF), the fifth-generation fighter jets assisted the development of Joint Terminal Attack Controllers for the NZDF. 

Exercise Agile Tasman also conducted Forwarding Arming and Refuelling Point (FARP) training outside of Australia for the first time. The RAAF 37SQN C-130J rearmed and refuelled the two F-35A Lightning II from Australia’s 3SQN at Ohakea Air Base. 

The RAAF team led by WGCDR Mark Biele was passionate about taking the air combat capability of the F-35A Lightning II to New Zealand for the first time. 

“Ex Agile Tasman seeks to maximise the capabilities we have now, combining our efforts to protect our shared interests today,” WGCDR Biele said.

“Transitioning interoperability into interchangeability is a human endeavour. The very special relationship we have with our best mates across the Tasman has demonstrated we can harness our technologies to deliver real people-powered capability today.” 

Exercise Agile Tasman also coincided with 3SQN’s 110th birthday.

“It’s our 110th birthday while we are here, and who would we want to spend that with other than our best mates across the Tasman,” WGCDR Biele said.

NZ CAF AVM Darryn Webb said working with RAAF on Exercise Agile Tasman builds regional and global stability.

“This is an exciting opportunity for the NZDF to work in concert with some of the most advanced warfighting technology in the world,” AVM Webb said. 

“One of the key objectives we have set in working together is to enhance our operational readiness by conducting combined exercises which develop shared combat capability. This exercise is an important step forward on that path.”