Real Fuerza Aérea de Nueva Zelanda
The Royal New Zealand Air Force grew from a four-officer permanent air force of 1923 into a Pacific air arm of some 42,000 people by 1944, flew in Malaya, Borneo and Vietnam, and in 2001 had its air combat force abolished by government decision — leaving today a service of about 2,500 regulars built around four P-8A Poseidons, five new C-130J-30s, helicopters and trainers, and the long Antarctic and Pacific missions that a small, remote country needs.
The Royal New Zealand Air Force story: eleven airmen in 1923, Kittyhawks over the Solomons and the end of the strike jets in 2001
1923–1939: a permanent air force of eleven people
New Zealand’s military flying began as an afterthought. A Blériot monoplane was presented in 1913, more than 800 New Zealanders flew or served in British and Australian air arms during the First World War, and more than 70 of them died, according to NZHistory. The New Zealand Permanent Air Force was gazetted only on 14 June 1923, at Sockburn near Christchurch, the field later called Wigram. NZHistory counts four officers and seven other ranks, eleven full-time staff, backed by about 100 part-time territorials; the Wikipedia history gives two other ranks, so the exact figure differs between accounts. Its early aircraft included Avro 504Ks, Bristol Fighters and a few DH.9s. On 1 April 1937 the Royal New Zealand Air Force became an independent service, and work started on new bases at Whenuapai, Ohakea and Woodbourne. When war came in September 1939 it had 756 full-time personnel.
1939–1945: Bomber Command, the Solomons and Rabaul
The Second World War turned that small service into a large one. In 1939 New Zealand had ordered 30 Wellington bombers; with war declared, the aircraft and their New Zealand crews stayed in Britain and became No. 75 (New Zealand) Squadron RAF, which later flew Stirlings, Lancasters and Lincolns. Through the Empire Air Training Scheme a further 7,002 New Zealand airmen joined RAF squadrons, and seven RAF squadrons carried a New Zealand identity. At home, the threat changed after Pearl Harbor. Hudsons, then Venturas, Kittyhawks, Corsairs, Avengers, Dauntlesses and Catalinas went to Fiji, the New Hebrides, Guadalcanal, Bougainville and the campaign against Rabaul. The Air Force Museum credits RNZAF Kittyhawks with 99 Japanese aircraft destroyed in air combat. NZHistory gives a peak in 1944 of 42,000 personnel and 1,336 aircraft, and 3,635 RNZAF dead by the end of the war.
1946–1975: jets in Cyprus and Malaya, Canberras in Borneo, transports in Vietnam
Peace shrank the force to 5,300 people by mid-1946, but it did not end its overseas work. No. 14 Squadron flew Corsairs with the occupation forces in Japan from 1946 to 1948, No. 41 Squadron flew in the Berlin airlift, and in 1952 No. 14 Squadron took Vampire jets to Cyprus as part of Britain’s Middle East air force. On 1 May 1955, five of its Vampires flew from Tengah against guerrillas in Malaya, the RNZAF’s first combat strike since 1945; the squadron flew 115 strike missions in three years. No. 75 Squadron followed with Canberras at Tengah from 1958. In the Confrontation with Indonesia from 1964 to 1966, No. 14 Squadron’s Canberras stood ready in Singapore while Bristol Freighters dropped supplies to troops in Borneo. In Vietnam the RNZAF’s part was mainly transport: Hercules and Freighters, and from 1967 pilots flying Iroquois with No. 9 Squadron RAAF and forward air control with the USAF.
1970–2001: the Skyhawk years and the end of the air combat force
The A-4K Skyhawk, ten single-seaters and four TA-4K two-seaters, arrived in 1970 and gave No. 75 Squadron a modern attack jet; ten more ex-Royal Australian Navy aircraft were bought in 1984 and the fleet was upgraded with new avionics under Project Kahu, approved in 1985. From 1991 No. 2 Squadron flew Skyhawks from Nowra in New South Wales to train Australian ships. A 1999 plan for 28 F-16s, chosen by the National government, was cancelled by the Labour government that followed, which in 2001 decided to disband the air combat force entirely. On 13 December 2001 the Governor-General laid up the standards of Nos 2, 14 and 75 Squadrons at Ohakea. NZHistory calls the decision controversial; the government framed it as a choice to concentrate on peacekeeping and on the surveillance and transport the country used most. Most of the fighter pilots left to fly for the RAAF and RAF, and the Skyhawks and Aermacchis sat in storage until most were sold in 2012.
2001–2025: surveillance, airlift and the Antarctic run
What remained was a surveillance and airlift force, and its busiest work was often far from war. The Hercules, in service since 1965, made the first RNZAF flight to Antarctica on 27 October 1965 and have flown summer missions to the ice ever since; the Orions arrived in 1966. The 2002 modernisation upgraded both fleets, two second-hand Boeing 757s replaced the 727s in 2003, and NH90 and A109 helicopters replaced the Iroquois and Sioux, the Iroquois retiring on 1 July 2015 after 49 years. Eleven T-6C Texan IIs took over pilot training from 2015, and No. 14 Squadron returned to life to fly them. The Hercules went to the 1991 Gulf war, to Afghanistan from 2001 and, in August 2021, to the Kabul evacuation. After the Christchurch earthquake of 22 February 2011 the air force mounted what Wikipedia calls the biggest movement of people and freight in its history.
2024–2026: P-8A, C-130J and a rebuilt transport fleet — what has changed, and what is still missing
Between 2022 and 2025 the RNZAF replaced almost everything it flies over the ocean. Four Boeing P-8A Poseidons, approved for $2.34 billion in 2018, arrived from December 2022, moved No. 5 Squadron to Ohakea and reached full operational release on 9 December 2025. Five C-130J-30s arrived between September and December 2024, and the C-130Hs were retired on 31 January 2025 after 60 years. The 2025 Defence Capability Plan then promised $12 billion over four years, and in August 2025 the government chose two Airbus A321XLRs to replace the 757s from 2028 and began negotiations for five MH-60R Seahawks to replace the Navy’s Seasprites. The gaps are just as clear. There are still no combat aircraft; the P-8As go to Australia for depot maintenance because New Zealand has never had that capability; and RNZ reported that by late 2023 Poseidon maintenance staff had fallen to half the number required.
The Royal New Zealand Air Force in numbers
Servicio
- Nombre nativo
- Te Tauaarangi o AotearoaThe Maori name as NZDF spells it on its air force pages, with a doubled vowel in place of a macron. Wikipedia says it was adopted in 2009, replacing Te Hokowhitu o Kahurangi
- Fundado
- 1 April 1937Became an independent service on that date. Its predecessor, the New Zealand Permanent Air Force, was gazetted on 14 June 1923 at Sockburn (Wigram)
- Parte de
- New Zealand Defence ForceOne of three services under the Chief of Defence Force, with the Royal New Zealand Navy and the New Zealand Army
- Sede
- Defence House, WellingtonAir Staff headquarters as given by Wikipedia; NZDF’s own headquarters pages could not be reached
- Jefe de la Fuerza Aérea
- AVM Darryn WebbIn office since 2 October 2023
- Ministro de Defensa
- Paul GoldsmithIncoming minister in August 2026, per the Ministry of Defence briefing published on 14 September 2026
Fortaleza
- Personal
- About 2,500 regulars2,518 regular and 463 reserve personnel, the figures given by Wikipedia; NZDF’s own figure was not reached. The air force peaked at around 42,000 in 1944
- Aviones de combate
- None since 2001The A-4K Skyhawk and MB-339CB squadrons were disbanded on 13 December 2001
- Patrulla marítima
-
- P-8A Poseidon — 4
No. 5 Squadron at Ohakea; full operational release on 9 December 2025
- Transporte
-
- C-130J-30 Hercules — 5
- Boeing 757-200 — 2
No. 40 Squadron at RNZAF Base Auckland (Whenuapai). Two A321XLRs are to replace the 757s from 2028
- Helicópteros
-
- NH90 TTH — 8
- A109LUH — 5
- SH-2G(I) Super Seasprite — 5–8 active of 10
NH90 and A109 with No. 3 Squadron at Ohakea; the Seasprites belong to the Navy and are flown by No. 6 Squadron with Navy aircrew. Sources differ on how many Seasprites are active: eight of ten (No. 6 Squadron article), five (Wikipedia inventory table), seven (RNZ, August 2025)
- Zapatos de deporte
-
- T-6C Texan II — 11
- King Air 350 — 4 (leased)
T-6C with No. 14 Squadron (also the Black Falcons display team); King Air 350s with No. 42 Squadron, two of them fitted with sensors
- Defence capability spending
- $12 billion over four yearsThe 2025 Defence Capability Plan, of which $9 billion is new funding (NZ dollars)
Infraestructura
- bases aéreas
-
- RNZAF Base Auckland (Whenuapai) — transport, Seasprites
- RNZAF Base Ohakea — P-8A, helicopters, training
- Base de la Real Fuerza Aérea de Nueva Zelanda en Woodbourne
Wikipedia lists three current bases. Ohakea is getting the final phase of an infrastructure programme worth $300–600 million under the 2025 plan
- Closed bases
-
- Wigram, Christchurch — birthplace of the NZPAF
- Hobsonville, Auckland
Wigram closed after the 1991 defence review and now houses the Air Force Museum; the flying-boat and helicopter station at Hobsonville was home to No. 3 Squadron from 1965
- escuadrones voladores
- SeisNos 3, 5, 6, 14, 40 and 42 Squadrons
- Antarctica
- Flights every summer since 1965The first RNZAF flight to Antarctica was by Hercules NZ7003 on 27 October 1965; the C-130J flew a midwinter medical evacuation from McMurdo in August 2025
- Equipo de exhibición
- Black FalconsFlown by No. 14 Squadron on the T-6C
How the Royal New Zealand Air Force is organised
One of the three services of the New Zealand Defence Force, about 2,500 regulars strong, with six flying squadrons — Nos 3, 5, 6, 14, 40 and 42 — at Ohakea and Whenuapai and a training and support base at Woodbourne. There have been no combat aircraft since 13 December 2001; the front line is No. 5 Squadron’s four P-8A Poseidons at Ohakea and No. 40 Squadron’s five C-130J-30 Hercules and two Boeing 757s at Whenuapai. No. 6 Squadron flies the Navy’s Seasprites with Navy aircrew, and two Airbus A321XLRs are due to replace the 757s from 2028.
Air Staff, Royal New Zealand Air Force
One of the three services of the New Zealand Defence Force, with the Navy and the Army, under the Chief of Defence Force; Wikipedia places the Air Staff at Defence House in Wellington. AVM Darryn Webb has been Chief of Air Force since 2 October 2023, succeeding AVM Andrew Clark, and RNZ quoted him in the post through November 2025; NZDF’s own leadership page could not be reached to confirm it. Paul Goldsmith has been Minister of Defence since August 2026.
Escuadrón N° 5
Four Boeing P-8A Poseidons, the first of which, NZ4801, arrived on 12 December 2022; the fleet reached full operational release on 9 December 2025. The squadron moved from Whenuapai with the change from the P-3K2 Orion, which the sources date differently, and flies from the Te Whare Toroa complex, completed in December 2024. Depot maintenance is done in Australia, a capability the Ministry of Defence says New Zealand has never had.
No. 40 Squadron
Formed at Whenuapai on 1 June 1943 and there ever since. Five C-130J-30 Hercules, delivered between September and December 2024, replaced the C-130H on 31 January 2025 after 60 years and reached full operational release on 30 October 2025. Its two Boeing 757s, bought second-hand in 2003, are to be replaced by two Airbus A321XLRs from 2028.
Escuadrón N° 3
Eight NH90 TTH tactical transport helicopters, in operational service since the Iroquois retired on 1 July 2015, and five A109LUH light helicopters used mainly for rotary-wing training. RNZ reported in 2023 that typically six of the eight NH90s were fully airworthy in 2022. A helicopter squadron since 1965, first at Hobsonville; the date of its move to Ohakea was not confirmed by an official source.
Escuadrón nº 6
Re-formed on 31 October 2005 to fly the Royal New Zealand Navy’s SH-2G(I) Super Seasprites from frigates, with Navy pilots and observers trained by the RNZAF. Sources differ on how many of the ten bought are active, from five to eight. The government began negotiating in August 2025 for five MH-60R Seahawks to replace them; they are not yet contracted.
Nos 14 and 42 Squadrons
No. 14 Squadron, the jet squadron disbanded with the air combat force on 13 December 2001, was re-raised in 2015 to train pilots on eleven T-6C Texan IIs and flies the Black Falcons display team. No. 42 Squadron flies four leased King Air 350s for multi-engine training and limited VIP transport; two carry sensor suites. The Ground Training Wing at Woodbourne, created in 1995, runs recruit, officer and trade training.
What the Royal New Zealand Air Force flies today
Cada tipo está sujeto a cargos, vinculado a su página en el Libro de las Bestias, cuando existe. Las cifras corresponden a aeronaves registradas, no a aeronaves disponibles en un día determinado.
| Tipo | Role | En servicio | Desde | Unidades | Notas | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing P-8A PoseidónEn servicio | Patrulla marítima y guerra antisubmarina | 4 | 2022 | Four bought; NZ4801 arrived on 12 December 2022 and all four were delivered by July 2023. | ||
| Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 HérculesEn servicio | Transporte táctico | 5 | 2024 | Five delivered: NZ7011 on 10 September 2024, NZ7012 and NZ7013 on 29 September, NZ7014 on 29 October and the last in December 2024. | ||
| Boeing 757-2K2En servicio | Strategic transport and VIP | 2 | 2003 | Two second-hand 757-200s bought from Transavia in 2003. | ||
| NHIndustries NH90 TTHEn servicio | Helicóptero de transporte táctico | 8 | 2012 | Eight bought plus one airframe for spares, for almost $800 million; delivered 2012–2014. | ||
| Leonardo (AgustaWestland) A109LUHEn servicio | Light utility and training helicopter | 5 | 2011 | Five in service per Wikipedia and the No. 3 Squadron article; the Wikipedia type list counts six operated. | ||
| Kaman SH-2G(I) Super SeaspriteEn servicio | Maritime helicopter (Navy-owned) | 5 | 2015 | Ten bought in April 2015, eight entered service and two kept as spares (No. 6 Squadron article); the Wikipedia inventory lists five in service; RNZ said seven in August 2025.
Más |
||
| Beechcraft T-6C Texan IIEn servicio | Pilot trainer | 11 | 2015 | Eleven in service. | ||
| Beechcraft King Air 350En servicio | Multi-engine training and surveillance | 4 | 2018 | Four leased; the first arrived at Ohakea in April 2018 and the fourth in July 2020. |
Bajo pedido
| Tipo | Ordenado | Primera entrega | Notas | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A321XLRBajo pedido | 2 | 2028 | Announced 21 August 2025 to replace the two 757s; six-year lease-to-buy agreement with Air Lease Corporation; capital cost $620 million and $80.86 million operating cost over four years (RNZ).
MásThe August 2026 ministerial briefing gives more than $700 million. About 120 passengers and 9,000 kg of cargo; Pratt & Whitney engines. |
|
| Sikorsky MH-60R SeahawkBajo pedido | 5 | Not yet contracted. Negotiations through US Foreign Military Sales announced on 21 August 2025 to replace the SH-2G(I) Seasprites; more than $2 billion budgeted.
MásThe Ministry says final decisions fall in 2026, and its August 2026 briefing says the final business case is due later in the year. Delivery dates not published. |
||
| Long-range remotely piloted aircraftBajo pedido | Planned, not ordered: the 2025 Defence Capability Plan gives an indicative $100–300 million for long-range uncrewed aircraft for persistent surveillance. Type and number not chosen. |
Every type the Royal New Zealand Air Force has retired
37 types, from the Bristol F.2B Fighter to the Lockheed C-130H(NZ) Hercules. Las cifras máximas corresponden a las aeronaves puestas en servicio durante toda su vida útil, no al número total de efectivos de la flota en una fecha concreta.
| Tipo | Role | Cima | Servido | Reemplazado por | Notas | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lockheed C-130H(NZ) Hercules | Transporte táctico | 5 | 1965–2025 | C-130J-30 | Three ordered first, the first arriving 14 April 1965; two more ordered in 1967 and arrived in January 1969 (the museum’s dates; Wikipedia says purchased in 1968). | |
| Lockheed P-3K2 Orion | Patrulla marítima | 6 | 1966–2023 | P-8A Poseidón | Five P-3Bs delivered in 1966 (NZ4201–NZ4205) and one ex-RAAF aircraft bought in 1985 (NZ4206). | |
| Bell UH-1D/H Iroquois | Helicóptero utilitario | 1966–2015 | NH90 | 14–18: the museum counts five UH-1D (1966) and nine UH-1H (1970); the Wikipedia type list gives 18 operated, which may include later additions. | ||
| Pacific Aerospace CT-4 Airtrainer | Entrenador básico | 32 | 1976–2014 | T-6C Texan II | 32, per the Wikipedia type list. | |
| Bell 47G Sioux | Helicóptero de entrenamiento | 13 | 1965–2010 | A109LUH | 13, per the Wikipedia type list. | |
| Boeing 727-100C | Transporte estratégico | 3 | 1981–2003 | Boeing 757 | Three bought in 1981, all ex-United Airlines. | |
| McDonnell Douglas A-4K/TA-4K Skyhawk | Attack and air defence fighter | 24 | 1970–2001 | Ten A-4K and four TA-4K bought new in 1970, plus ten ex-Royal Australian Navy aircraft bought in 1984. | ||
| Aermacchi MB-339CB | Entrenador a reacción avanzado y avión de ataque ligero | 18 | 1991–2001 | Eighteen bought in 1990, delivered from 1991. | ||
| Kaman SH-2F Seasprite | Ship-borne helicopter (interim) | 4 | 1997–2001 | SH-2G | Four, operated jointly with the Navy. | |
| Hawker Siddeley Andover C.1 | Transporte | 10 | 1976–1998 | King Air B200 (lease) | Ten. | |
| Westland Wasp HAS.1 | Ship-borne helicopter | 18 | 1966–1998 | SH-2F Seasprite | 18, per the Wikipedia type list. | |
| BAC 167 Strikemaster Mk.88 | Entrenador a reacción y ataque ligero | 16 | 1972–1992 | MB-339CB | Ten in 1972 and six more in 1975. | |
| Douglas C-47 Dakota | Transporte | 49 | 1943–1977 | Bristol Freighter; Andover | 49, per the Wikipedia type list. | |
| Bristol 170 Freighter Mk.31M | Transporte | 12 | 1951–1977 | Twelve, arriving 1951–1955. | ||
| Harvard norteamericano | Entrenador avanzado | 202 | 1941–1977 | 202, per the Wikipedia type list. | ||
| de Havilland Vampire FB.5, FB.52, T.11 and T.55 | Cazabombardero y avión de entrenamiento | 58 | 1951–1972 | Canberra (strike); Strikemaster (training) | The museum counts 58: 18 new FB.52 and six T.55 (1951–1952), eight second-hand FB.5 (1953), 21 ex-RAF FB.5 and five new T.11 (1955–1956). The Wikipedia type list gives 63. | |
| English Electric Canberra B(I).12 and B.2 | Bombardeo | 1958–1970 | A-4K Skyhawk | 11–13 bought, plus B.2s used by No. 75 Squadron at Tengah. The museum says 13 B(I).12 operated 1959–1970; the No.
Más14 Squadron article counts nine B(I).12 and two T.13 received at Ohakea in 1959; No. 75 Squadron flew nine Canberras from Tengah 1958–1962. The Wikipedia type list gives 28 in all. |
||
| Sunderland corto | Hidroavión de patrulla marítima | 20 | 1944–1967 | P-3 Orión | 20, per the Wikipedia type list. | |
| Handley Page Hastings | Transporte | 4 | 1952–1965 | C-130H | Cuatro. | |
| Grumman TBF-1 Avenger | Bombardero torpedero | 48 | 1943–1959 | 48 received 1943–1944. | ||
| de Havilland Venom FB.1 | cazabombardero | 1955–1958 | Canberra | No. 14 Squadron flew 16 in Singapore; the Wikipedia type list counts 48 used in all. The aircraft were RAF machines. | ||
| North American P-51D Mustang | Fighter (Territorial Air Force) | 30 | 1945–1957 | Thirty, per the Wikipedia type list. | ||
| de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth | Entrenador elemental | 335 | 1939–1956 | 335, per the Wikipedia type list. | ||
| Mosquito de Havilland | cazabombardero | 89 | 1943–1955 | Vampiro | 89, per the Wikipedia type list. | |
| Consolidated PBY-5 and Boeing PB2B-1 Catalina | Flying boat, anti-submarine and rescue | 56 | 1943–1953 | Sunderland | 56. | |
| Velocidad aérea Oxford | Entrenador multimotor | 229 | 1938–1952 | 229, per the Wikipedia type list. | ||
| Gloster Meteor F.3 | Jet fighter (evaluation) | 1 | 1945–1950 | Uno. | ||
| Vought F4U-1 and Goodyear FG-1D Corsair | cazabombardero | 424 | 1944–1948 | 424, per the Wikipedia type list. | ||
| Lockheed Hudson | Maritime reconnaissance bomber | 94 | 1941–1948 | Ventura | 94 received in 1941–1942; NZHistory dates the first 36 to 1941. | |
| Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk and Warhawk | Combatiente | 1942–1946 | Corsair | 297–301: the museum counts 297, the Wikipedia type list 301. | ||
| Lockheed B-34 and PV-1 Ventura | Maritime and bomber reconnaissance | 139 | 1943–1946 | 139, per the Wikipedia type list. | ||
| Douglas SBD Dauntless | bombardero en picado | 69 | 1943–1944 | 69, per the Wikipedia type list. | ||
| Vickers Vildebeest and Vincent | Torpedo bomber and general purpose | 101 | 1935–1944 | Hudson | 39 Vildebeest and 62 Vincents, per the Wikipedia type list. | |
| Vickers Wellington | Bombardeo | 30 | 1939–1942 | Thirty ordered in 1939. | ||
| Caza Bristol F.2B | Fighter and army co-operation | 7 | 1919–1938 | Seven, per the Wikipedia type list. | ||
| Avro 504K | Entrenador | 12 | 1920–1930 | Twelve, per the Wikipedia type list. | ||
| Aire acondicionado DH.9 | Bombardeo | 3 | 1923–1929 | Three, per the Wikipedia type list. |
Where the Royal New Zealand Air Force flies from
Los marcadores negros indican bases activas, los marcadores huecos, aeródromos que han cerrado. All three home bases come from the expansion that began in 1937: Ohakea and Whenuapai still fly, while Woodbourne trains, maintains and stores aircraft and shares its runways with Marlborough Airport. Wigram, where the Permanent Air Force began, and the flying-boat stations at Hobsonville and Laucala Bay in Fiji have closed; Tengah in Singapore and Nowra in New South Wales are listed for the RNZAF squadrons once based there. The coordinates of the home bases are taken from Wikipedia, as the New Zealand AIP could not be reached. Entries with no published aerodrome data carry no pin.
Nueva Zelanda
2 of the 6 bases above sit outside New Zealand, so the world map has to pull back until the home airfields cannot be told apart. The same pins again, without the overseas bases.
| Base | OACI | Estado | Pista | Unidades y aeronaves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RNZAF Base AucklandWhenuapaiAuckland | NZWP | Activo | 03/212,031 m08/261,581 m |
|
| Base Ohakea de la Real Fuerza Aérea de Nueva ZelandaManawatū-Whanganui (distrito de Manawatū, cerca de Bulls) | NZOH | Activo | 09/272.445 metros15/332.133 metros |
|
| Base de la Real Fuerza Aérea de Nueva Zelanda en WoodbourneMarlborough (near Blenheim) | NZWB | Activo | 06R/24L1,425 m06L/24R1,425 mcésped10/281,182 mcésped |
|
| RNZAF Station HobsonvilleAuckland | Cerrado en 2002 |
|
||
| RNZAF Base WigramCanterbury (Christchurch) | NZWG | Cerrado en 1995 |
|
|
| RNZAF Station Laucala BayCentral Division, Fiji (Suva) | Cerrado en 1967 |
|
Ninguna base aérea coincide con esa búsqueda.
Who is stationed where in the Royal New Zealand Air Force
Unidades voladoras por base, unidades actuales primero. RNZAF squadrons keep their old numbers: No. 40 Squadron has flown transports from Whenuapai since 1943, and No. 14 Squadron, a jet squadron until 2001, was re-raised in 2015 to train pilots on the T-6C. The Venom, Canberra and Skyhawk squadrons that served at Tengah and Nowra are listed with those bases and marked as former. Where the sources date a squadron’s move differently, as with No. 5 Squadron’s move to Ohakea, the entry says so.
- Escuadrón N° 5Maritime patrol and anti-submarine squadron · active
- Boeing P-8A Poseidón (4)
- Escuadrón N° 3Escuadrón de helicópteros · activo
- NHIndustries NH90 TTH, Leonardo A109LUH
- Escuadrón nº 14Escuadrón de entrenamiento de pilotos · activo
- Beechcraft T-6C Texan II
- Escuadrón nº 42Multi-engine training and light transport squadron · active
- Beechcraft King Air 350
- Escuadrón nº 14 (era de los aviones a reacción)1959–2001
- de Havilland Vampire, English Electric Canberra, BAC Strikemaster, Aermacchi MB-339CB
- Escuadrón N° 751946–2001
- de Havilland Mosquito, de Havilland Vampire, McDonnell Douglas A-4K/TA-4K Skyhawk
- No. 40 SquadronEscuadrón de transporte aéreo · activo
- Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Hercules (5), Boeing 757-2K2 (2)
- Escuadrón nº 6Naval helicopter squadron · active
- Kaman SH-2G(I) Super Seasprite
- No. 62 Squadronescuadrón de operaciones espaciales · activo
- No. 5 Squadron (at Whenuapai)1965–2023
- Lockheed P-3B, P-3K and P-3K2 Orion
- No. 42 Squadron (at Whenuapai)1984–2002
- Hawker Siddeley Andover C.1, later Beechcraft King Air B200
- Ground Training WingRecruit, officer and trade training wing · active
- Escuela de Entrenamiento de Vuelo del Servicio N° 21939–
- Aircraft Repair Depot1949–1998
No se encontró ninguna unidad que coincida con esa búsqueda.
Royal New Zealand Air Force milestones, 1914 to today
14 June: the New Zealand Permanent Air Force is gazetted at Sockburn, Christchurch, with eleven full-time staff (NZHistory).
1 April: the Royal New Zealand Air Force becomes an independent service; building starts at Whenuapai, Ohakea and Woodbourne.
The 30 Wellingtons ordered by New Zealand and their crews are offered to Britain and become No. 75 (NZ) Squadron RAF.
Kittyhawks arrive; No. 14 Squadron forms at Masterton on 25 April; the RNZAF meets the Japanese over Guadalcanal.
Peak strength: around 42,000 personnel and 1,336 aircraft; Corsairs replace Kittyhawks and squadrons fly against Rabaul.
The war ends with 3,635 RNZAF dead, according to NZHistory.
No. 14 Squadron takes Vampire jets to Cyprus as part of Britain’s Middle East air force, staying until 1955.
1 May: five No. 14 Squadron Vampires strike guerrillas in Malaya, the RNZAF’s first combat strike since 1945.
The Antarctic Flight is formed to support the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition.
September: No. 14 Squadron’s Canberras deploy to Singapore for the Confrontation with Indonesia, returning in November 1966.
14 April: the first C-130H arrives; Hercules fly into South Vietnam from July and NZ7003 makes the first RNZAF flight to Antarctica on 27 October.
The A-4K Skyhawk enters service with No. 75 Squadron; the kiwi roundel is introduced.
Two Hercules join the coalition in the Gulf war; No. 2 Squadron’s Skyhawks move to Nowra; a defence review leads to the closure of Wigram.
13 December: the air combat force is disbanded and the standards of Nos 2, 14 and 75 Squadrons are laid up at Ohakea; Hercules deploy to Afghanistan.
1 July: the NH90 enters operational service and the Iroquois retires after 49 years; T-6C deliveries begin.
12 December: the first P-8A Poseidon, NZ4801, arrives in New Zealand.
31 January: the C-130H retires after 60 years. 7 April: the Defence Capability Plan. 21 August: A321XLR and MH-60R decisions announced. 9 December: P-8A full operational release.
Paul Goldsmith becomes Minister of Defence in August; the MH-60R final business case is due later in the year.
Every war the Royal New Zealand Air Force has fought
Salidas y pérdidas donde consta en el registro, y un espacio en blanco honesto donde no.
- Second World War: Bomber Command and the RAF 1939–1945 Supplied aircrew to the RAF, including No
- Segunda Guerra Mundial: el Pacífico 1941–1945 Fighter, bomber-reconnaissance, torpedo, flying-boat and transport squadrons under US command in the South Pacific, from Guadalcanal to the campaign against Rabaul
- Emergencia malaya 1949–1960 Supply drops by Dakotas from 1949; ground-attack strikes by No
- Indonesia–Malaysia Confrontation 1964–1966 No
- Vietnam War 1965–1975 Transport flights for New Zealand forces by No
The Royal New Zealand Air Force display teams
Each team has its own page: history, aircraft, the display, the accidents and the sources.
Royal New Zealand Air Force news from Afterburner
Everything MiGFlug’s magazine has published on the Royal New Zealand Air Force and the aircraft it flies. Esta lista se actualiza automáticamente: las nuevas historias de Afterburner aparecen aquí de forma automática.
Everything people ask about the Royal New Zealand Air Force
What is the Royal New Zealand Air Force called in Maori?
Does New Zealand have fighter jets?
Why did New Zealand get rid of its combat jets in 2001?
What aircraft does the RNZAF fly today?
When was the RNZAF founded?
What did the RNZAF do in the Second World War?
Did the RNZAF fight in Vietnam?
Why is the RNZAF replacing the Boeing 757s?
Does the RNZAF fly to Antarctica?
Where are the RNZAF’s main bases?
Read the aircraft the Royal New Zealand Air Force flew
Cada tipo tiene una página en el Libro de las Bestias, primero en servicio y luego por el año en que abandonó la flota.
Todos los datos, verificados
- NZDF: Royal New Zealand Air Force (Te Tauaarangi o Aotearoa)Official English and Maori names as NZDF spells them; mission statement; values. Other NZDF subpages refused automated fetches (HTTP 403) during this research.
- Air Force Museum of New Zealand: Aircraft collectionThe museum at Wigram, Christchurch, and its list of 38 aircraft in the collection.
- Air Force Museum of New Zealand: The Mighty Hercules exhibitionFirst C-130H arrived 14 April 1965; two more arrived January 1969; first RNZAF flight to Antarctica by NZ7003 on 27 October 1965; Vietnam from July 1965; NZ7001 (33,000+ hours) landed at the museum 19 February 2025.
- Museo de la Fuerza Aérea de Nueva Zelanda: McDonnell Douglas A-4K Skyhawk NZ6205Diez A-4K y cuatro TA-4K comprados en 1970; diez aviones ex-RAN adquiridos en 1984; Proyecto Kahu; retirados después de 2001; último vuelo el 30 de julio de 2004; la mayoría vendidos a Draken International en 2012.
- Air Force Museum of New Zealand: Aermacchi MB-339CBEighteen acquired 1990, deliveries from 1991, all with No. 14 Squadron at Ohakea; retired 2001; most sold 2012.
- Air Force Museum of New Zealand: BAC 167 Strikemaster Mk.88Ten in 1972 and six more in 1975; No. 14 Squadron jet conversion trainer; replaced in 1992 by the MB-339CB.
- Air Force Museum of New Zealand: English Electric Canberra B(I).12Thirteen Canberra B(I).12 operated 1959-1970 from Ohakea; Confrontation 1964-1966; all 13 sold to the Indian Air Force when the Skyhawk arrived.
- Air Force Museum of New Zealand: de Havilland Vampire FB.5First jet flown operationally by the RNZAF; 58 Vampires of several marks 1951-1972.
- Air Force Museum of New Zealand: Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawk297 Kittyhawks, 1942 to mid-1944; eight squadrons; 99 Japanese aircraft destroyed and 14 probables; replaced by Corsairs.
- Air Force Museum of New Zealand: Consolidated Catalina56 PBY-5 and PB2B-1 Catalinas 1943-1953; Laucala Bay, Guadalcanal, Espiritu Santo.
- Air Force Museum of New Zealand: Lockheed Hudson Mk III94 Hudsons 1941-1942; Nos 1, 2, 3, 4 and 9 Squadrons; replaced by the Ventura 1943-1944.
- Air Force Museum of New Zealand: Grumman TBF-1 Avenger48 Avengers 1943-1944 for Nos 30 and 31 Squadrons; last six used for target towing at Ohakea to 1959.
- Air Force Museum of New Zealand: Lockheed P-3K2 Orion NZ4203Five P-3Bs 1966 and one ex-RAAF in 1985; RIGEL (P-3K) and KESTREL (P-3K2) upgrades; No. 5 Squadron at Whenuapai; retired progressively from 2021.
- Air Force Museum of New Zealand: Bell UH-1H Iroquois NZ3801Five UH-1D in 1966 and nine UH-1H in 1970; No. 3 Squadron for 49 years; 16 No. 3 Squadron pilots with No. 9 Squadron RAAF in Vietnam 1967-1971; service in Timor-Leste.
- Air Force Museum of New Zealand: Bristol 170 Freighter Mk.31MTwelve, 1951-1955, No. 41 Squadron; South-East Asia from 1955; Operation Scorpion in Thailand 1962; withdrawn 1977; last flight 16 March 1978.
- Air Force Museum of New Zealand: Kaman SH-2F SeaspriteFour SH-2F jointly operated by the RNZN and RNZAF 1997-2001, flown by Navy pilots and maintained by No. 3 Squadron’s Naval Support Flight.
- NZHistory: Royal New Zealand Air Force formedRNZAF became an independent service on 1 April 1937; the combat force was disbanded in 2001 after ANZUS, cuts and the focus on peacekeeping.
- NZHistory: RNZAF overview 1913-1945NZPAF of 1923 with 11 full-time staff; 756 full-time personnel in September 1939; 7,002 airmen into RAF squadrons via the Empire Air Training Scheme; peak of around 42,000 in 1944; 5,300 by mid-1946.
- NZHistory: RNZAF overview 1946-2012Berlin airlift; Cyprus 1952-1955; 115 strike missions 1955-1958; Confrontation; 30 RNZAF pilots in Vietnam 1967-1971; peacekeeping list; 1991 review and Wigram closure; 2001 disbandment; 2002 upgrades.
- Historia de Nueva Zelanda: Cronología de la Real Fuerza Aérea de Nueva ZelandaHitos año tras año: 1.336 aeronaves y 42.000 efectivos en 1944; 3.635 miembros de la Real Fuerza Aérea de Nueva Zelanda (RNZAF) fallecidos en la Segunda Guerra Mundial; dos Hércules en la guerra del Golfo de 1991; Hércules enviados a Afganistán en 2001.
- NZHistory: RNZAF’s first combat strike since the Second World War1 May 1955: five No. 14 Squadron Vampires from Tengah against guerrillas in Malaya, led by Flt Lt Stuart McIntyre; 115 strike missions in three years.
- NZHistory: NZ and Confrontation in BorneoNo. 14 Squadron with six Canberras in Singapore; No. 41 Squadron Bristol Freighter supply drops in Borneo; 12 New Zealanders died in South-East Asia 1964-1966.
- NZHistory: The Vietnam WarRNZAF helicopter pilots with No. 9 Squadron RAAF and forward air controllers with the USAF from 1967; more than 3,000 New Zealanders served 1963-1975; 37 died on active service; last RNZAF flight out in April 1975.
- NZHistory: New Zealanders in the air (D-Day)Over 6,000 New Zealanders in the UK with the RAF by 1944; seven RAF squadrons with New Zealand identity: 75 and 487 (Bomber Command), 485, 486, 488 (Fighter Command), 489, 490 (Coastal Command).
- Gobernador General de Nueva Zelanda: Cierre de la Fuerza Aérea de Combate (13 de diciembre de 2001)Discurso de Dame Silvia Cartwright en Ohakea, durante el desfile en el que se colocaron los estandartes de los escuadrones n.º 2, 14 y 75.
- Nick Lee-Frampton: Skyhawk, New Zealand’s fast jet (FAAAA)Skyhawk purchase approved 10 June 1968, handed over 10 June 1970; ex-RAN purchase announced 29 June 1984; Project Kahu approved May 1985 at $148 million; No. 2 Squadron left Ohakea for Nowra in 1991.
- RNZ: Royal NZ Air Force to retire C-130H Hercules fleet (30 January 2025)Retirement on 31 January 2025 after 60 years, 155,000 hours and 100,000 landings; Air Vice-Marshal Darryn Webb on Antarctic rescues and Kabul 2021.
- RNZ: Seahawks and Airbuses — Government reveals $2.7b planes and helicopters (21 August 2025)Two A321XLR ($620 million capital, delivery 2028, lease to buy) and five MH-60R (more than $2 billion) announced by Judith Collins and Winston Peters.
- RNZ: Revealed — what the new Defence Force planes will look like (21 November 2025)A321XLR lease to buy with Air Lease Corporation; delivery 2028; about 120 passengers and 9,000 kg; quote from Air Vice-Marshal Darryn Webb.
- RNZ: Defence Force can’t service Poseidon planes, sends them to Australia (28 March 2025)Four P-8As costing $2.3 billion; depot maintenance contracted in Adelaide; maintenance staff at half the required level in late 2023.
- RNZ: NZ sticks with troubled NH90s as Australia and Norway opt for alternatives (24 April 2023)Eight NH90s plus one for spares, almost $800 million, delivered 2012-2014; typically six of eight airworthy in 2022.
- RNZ: NZ Air Force evacuates three people from Antarctica for medical care (6 August 2025)C-130J midwinter medical evacuation from McMurdo Station to Christchurch, about 15 hours; Air Commodore Andy Scott quoted.
- Ministry of Defence: 2025 Defence Capability Plan (7 April 2025)$12 billion over four years, $9 billion new; maritime helicopters $2 billion plus; 757 replacement $600 million-1 billion; long-range RPAS $100-300 million; counter-UAS; Ohakea infrastructure final phase $300-600 million.
- Ministry of Defence: Major Projects Report 2025 (published 3 September 2026)P-8A: LOA 9 July 2018, first aircraft December 2022, full operational release 9 December 2025, No. 5 Squadron at Ohakea. C-130J-30: LOA 4 June 2020, $1.414 billion, deliveries September-December 2024, IOR 30 January 2025, FOR 30 October 2025, No. 40 Squadron at Auckland.
- Ministerio de Defensa: Patrulla marítima de vigilancia aérea (P-8A Poseidon)El programa $2.34 mil millones fue aprobado el 2 de julio de 2018; el NZ4801 llegó el 12 de diciembre de 2022; los cuatro estarán listos para julio de 2023; el Escuadrón No. 5 estará en Ohakea; las instalaciones de Te Whare Toroa estarán terminadas en diciembre de 2024.
- Ministry of Defence: Future Air Mobility – Strategic (757 replacement)Two A321XLR on a six-year lease-to-buy agreement; 757s obtained in 2003; 122 passengers, 9,100 kg cargo, 8,700 km range.
- Ministry of Defence: Maritime Helicopter ReplacementNegotiations for five MH-60R announced 21 August 2025 under US Foreign Military Sales; more than $2 billion budgeted; final decisions in 2026.
- Ministry of Defence: Operational and Regulatory Aviation Compliance Sustainment (ORACS)ADS-B, performance-based navigation and secure radio upgrades for the NH90 and 757; phases approved 2019-2024; 757 secure radios released December 2024.
- Ministry of Defence: Briefing to the Incoming Minister of Defence, Hon Paul Goldsmith (August 2026, published 14 September 2026)Paul Goldsmith incoming minister August 2026; A321XLR more than $700 million; MH-60R preferred option, business case due later in 2026; polar-capable uncrewed aircraft for Navy ships in Budget 2026.
- NZHistory: Operation Overdue (Erebus 1979)First flight with bodies at Whenuapai 6 December 1979; second 11 December; 213 of 257 identified.
- NZHistory: The Beatles in AucklandArrival at Auckland’s Whenuapai Airport, June 1964; 300 waiting fans.
- NZHistory: Royal visit of 1953–54, itineraryPresentation of Colour at RNZAF Station Whenuapai, 28 December 1953; flight to RNZAF Station Woodbourne, 16 January 1954.
- Air Force Museum of New Zealand: ‘Simply superb’ – buying the C-130H Hercules (David King, 29 January 2025)US$13.5 million for three aircraft and spares (1963); first three at Whenuapai April 1965; two more January 1969; Vietnam by July 1965; Gordon Ragg quotation.
- Air Force Museum of New Zealand: International incident – the Orion and the Rainbow Warrior bombing (David King, 16 July 2024)P-3K NZ4203 from Whenuapai, 25 July 1985; search for the Ouvéa; Don Simms quotation.
- Air Force Museum of New Zealand: Operation Desert Storm – the RNZAF and the Gulf War, 1991 (Simon Moody)Two Hercules and 46 personnel at Riyadh 23 December 1990; later about 60; final return to Whenuapai 12 April 1991.
- Air Force Museum of New Zealand: The arrival of the Southern Cross at Wigram (Brian Lockstone)Landing 11 September 1928; about 30,000 people; escort of four NZPAF Bristol Fighters.
- RNZ: La base aérea de Ōhakea contará con dos grandes hangares y una plantilla de 1200 personas (28 de marzo de 2022)Dimensiones del hangar; $250 millones; instalaciones; comentario del alcalde sobre la defensa como la segunda industria más grande del distrito.
- RNZ: First of four new Boeing P-8A Poseidons arrive in New Zealand (14 December 2022)First P-8A landed at Ōhakea on 13 December 2022 (the Ministry gives 12 December); 250 personnel to transfer over 18 months.
- RNZ: Singapore considers training its fighter pilots in NZ (25 February 2017)F-15SGs at the RNZAF 80th anniversary; up to 500 extra people; Gerry Brownlee quotation.
- RNZ: Toxic firefighting foam – new water supply for Ōhakea opens (17 August 2022)PFAS found 2017; about 90 properties; $11.9 million scheme, $10.88 million from government.
- RNZ: Military chopper forced to land after signs of engine fire near Palmerston North (10 October 2025)A109 from Base Ohakea; three crew unhurt.
- RNZ: US Air Force’s largest plane lands in Auckland to make special delivery (20 August 2025)C-5M at Whenuapai with C-130J simulator parts; at least 150 spectators.
- RNZ: El gobierno asigna $2.5b para mantener el suministro eléctrico en las instalaciones de defensa (26 de noviembre de 2025)Fallo en la puerta del hangar en la Base Auckland (Chris Penk); Programa de Infraestructura de Ōhakea; limitaciones de agua en Woodbourne.
- RNZ: Why low-flying German military planes are in New Zealand skies (14 November 2025)Exercise Tūhono Rangi from Woodbourne: two A400Ms, an A330 and an A321; about 60 RNZAF personnel from Ohakea.
- RNZ: $25m Te Tiriti redress deal agreed for contaminated Blenheim land (6 November 2024)$25.2 million to the three Kurahaupō iwi over PFAS contamination at Woodbourne; contamination found in 2019.
- RNZ: NZ’s only retired Orion aeroplane goes on display at Air Force Museum (18 April 2024)NZ4203 trucked from Woodbourne to the museum; 27,000 flying hours.
Cifras verificadas el 1 de octubre de 2026. Las páginas de Orden de Batalla se regeneran a partir de un único conjunto de datos; si algún número aquí no coincide con el de una página del Libro de las Bestias, esta página es la más reciente de las dos.
Photographs: Photo: U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman James Johnson / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: André Gerwing / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Aeroprints.com / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo: New Zealand Defence Force from Wellington, New Zealand / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: Javier Leon G / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Bidgee / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo: Acroterion / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Bidgee / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0 au) · Photo: Andrew Thomas from Shrewsbury, UK / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: MSgt. David N. Craft / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Kurt Finger / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Winstonwolfe at English Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Royal Air Force Mosquito. Fotoafdrukken Koninklijke Luchtmacht / Photo Prints, Royal Netherlands Air Force / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Bernard Spragg. NZ from Christchurch, New Zealand / Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · Photo: Geoff McKay from Palmerston North, New Zealand / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: Winstonwolfe / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Alan Wilson from Stilton, Peterborough, Cambs, UK / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Łukasz Golowanow and Maciej Hypś, Konflikty.pl / Wikimedia Commons (Attribution) · Royal Air Force Wellington. Photo: Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Ron Boyes. Posted by Photographers request. / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Anidaat / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: TSRL / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo: kitmasterbloke / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: The original uploader was Bauple58 at English Wikipedia. / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo: Michael Gaylard from Horsham, UK / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: glenn turner / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)