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NZ Army teams up with local jet company in training first

New Zealand Defence Force

Soldiers from the New Zealand Army, Ngāti Tūmatauenga have carried out a significant training first when local defence contractor, Fighter Jets NZ, was used to simulate realistic close air support missions with jet aircraft.

31 October, 2025

Previously, the NZ Army has had to travel internationally for all close air support training, so to be able to call on physical air assets - in the form of two civilian-owned Aero L-39 Albatros jets - was invaluable training for personnel.

The training involved soldiers from 16th Field Regiment, where four Joint Fires Teams coordinated land, maritime and air attacks on an enemy on a fictional island under occupation and martial law.

The Joint Fires Teams, made up of highly trained Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTAC) and Joint Fires Officers play a crucial role of enabling the New Zealand Defence Force to coordinate and control strikes. They can carry out reconnaissance missions, clear opposing air defences and "strike the enemy in depth", says Major Jake Boersen, 163 Battery Commander, 16th Field Regiment.

A senior NZ Army JTAC was aboard the jet to provide a military eye in the sky. His role was to bridge the gap between the civilian pilots and what is expected of a military fighter jet pilot.

Lieutenant Colonel Brent Morris, Commanding Officer of 16th Field Regiment, says the Joint Fires Teams receive excellent training overseas with New Zealand's partners, but that does limit the ability to test tactical skills in a complex and hostile environment.

Tauranga-based Fighter Jets NZ was an experienced and professional organisation that can draw on experience from across the aviation industry to support the NZ Army's training objectives, Lieutenant Colonel Morris said.

"Having the means to simulate attack aircraft during domestic training significantly enhances the trained state of our personnel and increases our lethality on the battlefield."

During the training, the soldiers also had to navigate extremely challenging environments and terrain after being winched into remote forests from Royal New Zealand Air Force NH90 helicopters.

The soldiers, each carrying up to 45kg of equipment, were required to manoeuvre through the difficult terrain for three days, before reaching the location to call in a simulated naval strike, followed up with the fighter jet runs.

Chief of Army, Major General Rose King, says this exercise provides invaluable training for both the personnel involved and wider 1st (New Zealand) Brigade, and also demonstrates the capability and value that the NZ Army is able to provide as a crucial force-multiplier in a multinational setting.

"The New Zealand Army's greatest strength lies in the competence and professionalism of our people - soldiers who can think, adapt and lead in complex environments. Having the ability to strike from across all domains is extremely important in the contemporary operating environment, and it is reassuring to see us further refine skillsets in a domestic setting alongside the New Zealand defence industry," she said.