Personnel from the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s (RNZAF) No. 40 Squadron have undertaken advanced tactics training together with the US Air Force (USAF) counterparts.
The month-long training will conclude on 30 September.
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It is being carried out in and around St Joseph, Missouri; and Sierra Vista, Arizona, US.
The training aims to develop and enhance the RNZAF participants’ efficiency to perform combat operations in austere scenarios.
As part of the effort, the RNZAF’s crew members and a C-130 Hercules tactical cargo aircraft have been attending the training course at the Advanced Airlift Tactical Training Centre (AATTC).
RNAF Detachment commander flight lieutenant Adam Palmer said: “AATTC is an advanced tactics training course, which allows our crews to practice advanced tactical flying in a simulated hostile environment.
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By GlobalData“This includes low-level flying, airdrop, and threat reaction.”
The latest activity also allowed the RNZAF’s personnel to consolidate and standardise their tactics and techniques with the USAF’s Air Mobility Command (AMC) and US Air National Guard (ANG).
According to the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF), the training and exercises of this sort allow the country’s forces to prepare for emergency missions by honing their response capabilities.
Practising with allied and partner nations further improves interoperability and provides an opportunity to combine capabilities for conducting complex and realistic missions.
Additionally, conducting joint training prepares the deployed NZDF personnel to undertake operations in any location across the globe.
Palmer added: “This training is really significant as it provides an opportunity to operate with the USAF in a deployed environment.
“It also provides an opportunity to learn from, and build relationships with, USAF Air Mobility Command and Air National Guard crews.”
