The Royal Australian Air Force has flown F-35A Lightning II fighters into New Zealand for the first time, with two jets operating from RNZAF Base Ohakea during Exercise Agile Tasman. The deployment, supported by an Australian C-130J Hercules, also included the RAAF’s first forward arming and refuelling point training outside Australia.
The exercise ran from 7 to 10 September and focused on bilateral combat training with New Zealand partners, including air support, refuelling and rearming in the field, and sustainment of fifth-generation aircraft away from home bases. The aircraft conducted combined training from Ohakea and other locations, testing how Australian forces can support advanced fighters in a deployed environment.
The milestone adds to trans-Tasman air power cooperation and demonstrates a higher level of interoperability for expeditionary operations in the Indo-Pacific. It also showed that Australia can move, support and regenerate F-35 operations on New Zealand soil with integrated airlift and refuelling support.