An Antonov AN-124 cargo aircraft is scheduled to touchdown this week at Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) Base Ohakea, delivering parts for the construction of a new P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft training facility.
An integrated project team, led by the Ministry of Defence, is working with Boeing to install the facility, which will include a life-sized flight simulator housed inside No. 5 Squadron’s purpose-built Te Whare Toroa building.
“The P-8A Poseidon aircraft training facility will be a critical tool for the New Zealand Defence Force, improving training capabilities, reducing risk to crew and aircraft, and providing significant savings in Poseidon operating costs,” said Sarah Minson, Deputy Secretary of Capability Delivery at the Ministry of Defence.
The facility will bring together, for the first time, a range of simulation training tools required to train both the aircrew and maintainers in No. 5 Squadron, who operate the Poseidon fleet.
“Simulation training tools provide a safe and secure space for crew to learn and maintain skills on aircraft systems, reducing risk as well as the number of hours required for flight training. They also increase the availability of aircraft for NZDF operations,” said Sarah Minson.
“The full-motion P-8A Poseidon flight simulator is designed to look and move like a real cockpit, and will allow crew to train for a range of scenarios in a realistic environment, from emergency situations to poor weather conditions.”
The facility is part of the existing $2.3 billion project that delivered four Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft in 2023, along with mission systems, ground support equipment and spare parts.
New Zealand Defence partners, including the United States Navy, Royal Australian Air Force and United Kingdom Royal Air Force, already use similar training tools for their Poseidon fleets.
In recent months, the P-8A Poseidon fleet has been used to: carry out maritime patrol flights to detect and deter evasions of United Nations Security Council sanctions against North Korea; find three Fijian fishermen nine days after they were reported missing; and conduct surveillance flights after a 7.3 magnitude earthquake in Vanuatu.
The training facility at Base Ohakea will be completed and ready for use in 2026.
