iscover
The New Zealand government has opened the new headquarters of the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s No. 5 Squadron at Ohakea.
The new facility is envisioned to train, sustain and support up to 320 personnel with its two hangars, maintenance and support facilities, spare parts warehouse, full flight simulator and mission support centre.
For the first time, the facility will bring together a range of training and support tools for aircrew, maintenance and mission support personnel. It is expected that the facility will house four P-8A Poseidon aircraft.
“This 20,000-square metre facility, Te Whare Toroa, ‘the home of the albatross’, provides essential, state-of-the-art infrastructure to support the RNZAF’s work in maritime surveillance, resource protection and disaster response,” NZ Minister of Defence Judith Collins said.
“The government knows Defence personnel must have modern and fit-for-purpose equipment and infrastructure to be interoperable, combat-capable, and to deter actions that are adverse to our interests. The work they do safeguards New Zealand, its interests and our way of life.”
The facility is opened under the NZ government’s Defence Capability Plan as well as planned commitments worth $12 billion over the next four years as NZ Defence spending is doubled by 2032.
“The project has also provided significant employment and upskilling opportunities for the local workforce, which the delivery of the Defence Capability Plan will continue to generate into regional economies in the coming years,” Minister Collins said.
