For aircraft no longer in service, see List of aircraft of the Royal New Zealand Air Force and Royal New Zealand Navy.
This is a list of military aircraft currently in service as of 2022 with the Armed Forces of New Zealand.
![]() | This section duplicates the scope of other articles, specifically Royal New Zealand Air Force#Current inventory. |
Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | Introduced | In service | Operational Squadrons | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Maritime Patrol | |||||||
Lockheed P-3 Orion | United States | ASW / Maritime Patrol | P-3K2 | 1966 | 4 | No. 5 Squadron | 5 originally delivered in 1966 as P-3Bs. Another purchased from the RAAF in 1985. [1] |
Boeing P-8 Poseidon | United States | ASW / Maritime Patrol | P-8A | 4 on order. To be operated by No. 5 Squadron RNZAF. [2] [3] [4] | |||
Transport | |||||||
Boeing 757 | United States | Transport | 757-2K2 Combi | 2003 | 2 | No. 40 Squadron | |
Lockheed C-130 Hercules | United States | Transport | C-130H(NZ) | 1965 | 5 | No. 40 Squadron | First 3 aircraft were the first C-130H production models. [5] |
Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules | United States | Transport | C-130J-30 | 5 on order. To be operated by No. 40 Squadron RNZAF. [6] [7] [8] | |||
Helicopters | |||||||
AugustaWestland AW109 | Italy | Light Utility / Trainer | A109LUH | 2011 | 5 | No. 3 Squadron | |
NHIndustries NH90 | France | Utility / Transport | NH90 (TTH) | 2012 | 8 | No. 3 Squadron | 9th aircraft delivered as an attrition airframe.. [9] |
Kaman SH-2G Super Seasprite | United States | ASW / Maritime Patrol | SH-2G(I) | 2016 | 9 | No. 6 Squadron | 10th aircraft delivered as an attrition airframe. |
Trainers | |||||||
Beechcraft Super King Air | United States | Multi-Engine Trainer | KA350 | 2020 | 4 | No. 42 Squadron | Two aircraft equipped with sensor suite for aircrew training. Leased from Hawker Pacific Australia. |
Beechcraft T-6 Texan II | United States | Trainer | T-6C | 2015 | 11 | No. 14 Squadron |
Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | In service | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
North American T-6 Harvard | United States | Trainer | T-6 Mk III | 1 (NZ1076) | [10] |
de Havilland Tiger Moth | British Empire | Trainer | DH.82a | 1 (NZ662) | [10] |
Supermarine Spitfire | British Empire | Fighter | LF Mk. IX E | 1 (PV270) | [10] |
Grumman TBF Avenger | United States | Torpedo bomber | TBF-1C | 1 (NZ2518) | [10] |
Instructional Airframes are used in a ground training role, and are not used in active service.
Aircraft | Origin | Variant | In service | Ground Training Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kaman SH-2F Seasprite | United States | SH-2F | 6 | RNZAF Base Woodbourne | In service as Instructional Airframes. |
Mitsubishi MU-2 | Japan | MU-2F | 4 | RNZAF Base Woodbourne | In service as Instructional Airframes. |
Aircraft | Origin | Type | Variant | Introduced | In service | Operational Squadrons | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Helicopters | |||||||
Kaman SH-2G Super Seasprite | United States | ASW / Maritime Patrol | SH-2G(I) | 2016 | - | - | Jointly operated with the Royal New Zealand Air Force |
The New Zealand Defence Force consists of three services: the Royal New Zealand Navy, the New Zealand Army and the Royal New Zealand Air Force; and is commanded and headed by the chief of Defence Force (CDF).
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). Following the Allied victory over the Central Powers in 1918, the RAF emerged as the largest air force in the world at the time. Since its formation, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history. In particular, it played a large part in the Second World War where it fought its most famous campaign, the Battle of Britain.
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal air and space force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally, the Governor-General of Australia, is the de jure Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force. The Royal Australian Air Force is commanded by the Chief of Air Force (CAF), who is subordinate to the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF). The CAF is also directly responsible to the Minister of Defence, with the Department of Defence administering the ADF and the Air Force.
The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a four-engined, turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s. Lockheed based it on the L-188 Electra commercial airliner. The aircraft is easily distinguished from the Electra by its distinctive tail stinger or "MAD" boom, used for the magnetic anomaly detection (MAD) of submarines.
The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) is the aerial service branch of the New Zealand Defence Force. It was formed from New Zealand elements of the British Royal Air Force, becoming an independent force in 1923, although many RNZAF aircrew continued to serve in the Royal Air Force until the end of the 1940s.
The Beechcraft T-6 Texan II is a single-engine turboprop aircraft built by the Raytheon Aircraft Company. A trainer aircraft based on the Pilatus PC-9, the T-6 has replaced the United States Air Force's Cessna T-37B Tweet and the United States Navy's T-34C Turbo Mentor.
The Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) is the air force of Norway. It was established as a separate arm of the Norwegian Armed Forces on 10 November 1944. The RNoAF's peacetime establishment is approximately 2,430 employees. 600 personnel also serve their draft period in the RNoAF. After mobilization the RNoAF would consist of approximately 5,500 personnel.
The Boeing P-8 Poseidon is an American maritime patrol aircraft developed and produced by Boeing Defense, Space & Security, modified from the 737-800ERX. It was developed for the United States Navy (USN).
The Royal Canadian Air Force is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environmental commands within the unified Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2020, the Royal Canadian Air Force consists of 12,074 Regular Force and 1,969 Primary Reserve personnel, supported by 1,518 civilians, and operates 258 manned aircraft and nine unmanned aerial vehicles. Lieutenant-General Al Meinzinger is the current commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force and chief of the Air Force Staff.
No. 5 Squadron RNZAF is a squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force formed during November 1941 in Fiji. It remains on active duty and logged 2,300 hours flight time in 2007.
No. 40 Squadron RNZAF is a transport squadron in the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF). Established in June 1943, it remains on active duty.
The military history of New Zealand is an aspect of the history of New Zealand that spans several hundred years. When first settled by Māori almost a millennium ago, there was much land and resources, but war began to break out as the country's carrying capacity was approached. Initially being fought with close range weapons of wood and stone, this continued on and off until Europeans arrived, bringing with them new weapons such as muskets. Colonisation by Britain led to the New Zealand Wars in the 19th century in which settler and imperial troops and their Māori allies fought against other Māori and a handful of Pākehā. In the first half of the 20th century, New Zealanders of all races fought alongside Britain in the Boer War and both World Wars. In the second half of the century and into this century the New Zealand Defence Force has provided token assistance to the United States in several conflicts. New Zealand has also contributed troops extensively to multilateral peacekeeping operations.
HMNZS Endeavour (A11) was a fleet oiler for the Royal New Zealand Navy. She was named after James Cook's Bark Endeavour and the third ship in the RNZN to carry that name, though if continuity with the Royal Navy ships of the name HMS Endeavour is considered, she is the twelfth. The previous two ships of the RNZN were Antarctic research support vessels. Endeavour was built in South Korea to a commercial design and commissioned on 8 April 1988, and decommissioned on 15 December 2017.
The Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. The C-130J is a comprehensive update of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, with new engines, flight deck, and other systems.
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New Zealand–Russia relations refers to bilateral foreign relations between New Zealand and the Russian Federation. New Zealand has an embassy in Moscow and an honorary consulate in Vladivostok. Russia has an embassy in Wellington. Both countries are members of APEC.
The Kaman SH-2G Super Seasprite is an American ship-based helicopter with anti-submarine, anti-surface threat capability, including over-the-horizon targeting. This aircraft extends and increases shipboard sensor and weapon capabilities against several types of enemy threats, including submarines of all types, surface ships, and patrol craft that may be armed with anti-ship missiles. It was originally developed for the United States Navy in 1980s as a reengined version of the older Kaman SH-2 Seasprite.
INS Baaz is an Indian naval air station under the joint-services Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) of the Indian Armed Forces. It is located near Campbell Bay, on Great Nicobar island in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. It is the southernmost air station of the Indian Armed Forces. It overlooks the Strait of Malacca as well as the Six Degree channel between Great Nicobar and the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
Operation Argos is the Australian Defence Force's contribution to the international effort to enforce United Nations' sanctions against North Korea. The operation began in 2018, and is ongoing as of 2021. The Australian effort is focused on detecting ship to ship transfers of contraband goods. It involves periodic deployments of aircraft and warships.