New Zealand NH90 helicopters fly record distance across Tasman Sea

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Two Royal New Zealand Air Force NH90 helicopters have flown from Australia to New Zealand on a two-day, record-breaking journey for the aircraft, which each carried two 1,100lb external fuel tanks, according to the service.

The aircraft flew from Royal Australian Air Force Base Amberley, near Brisbane, via Norfolk Island, to RNZAF Base Auckland, a distance of 1,765 miles over water. The longest leg of the trip, 660 miles, took around four and a half hours.

Both of the 3 Squadron aircraft landed safely home at RNZAF Base Ohakea Sept. 30.

The flight broke the RNZAF NH90s’ previous over-water record, achieved at the end of last month, of 521 miles across the Coral Sea Basin between Australia and Papua New Guinea.

New Zealand’s air component commander, Air Commodore Andy Scott, said the long-distance flight was important because it demonstrated the utility of the aircraft and the ability for it to self-deploy over a vast area.

“These types of flights give our crews confidence in the system,” he said.

The squadron’s commanding officer, Wing Commander Chris Ross, said the flight gave crews the opportunity to gain valuable long-distance flying skills: “It’s a terrific achievement.”

The marathon flight had been a long time coming, with the capability signed off in 2023, but the opportunity hadn’t arisen until this year, said Squadron Leader Lachie Johnston, the NH90 flight commander.

“We knew the aircraft could do it and we knew the crews were appropriately trained,” Johnston said. “It’s not unheard of for helicopters to fly long trips, but this is a unique capability in the context of doing such long legs over large bodies of water.”

New Zealand defense leaders selected the European-designed NH90 in 2005 to replace the RNZAF’s UH-1 Iroquois, and eight have been in service since 2015, with a ninth serving as an extra.

Nick Lee-Frampton is the New Zealand correspondent for Defense News.

新西兰惠灵顿——据新西兰皇家空军称，两架新西兰皇家空军 NH90 直升机从澳大利亚飞往新西兰，历时两天，打破了该机型的飞行纪录。每架直升机都携带了两个 1100 磅的外部燃料箱。

这架飞机从布里斯班附近的澳大利亚皇家空军安伯利基地起飞，途经诺福克岛，最终抵达新西兰皇家空军奥克兰基地，全程跨越水域1765英里。其中最长的一段航程为660英里，耗时约四个半小时。

9月30日，第3中队的两架飞机安全降落在新西兰皇家空军奥哈基亚基地。

此次飞行打破了新西兰皇家空军 NH90 飞机此前创下的跨海飞行纪录，该纪录于上月底创造，飞行距离为 521 英里，横跨澳大利亚和巴布亚新几内亚之间的珊瑚海盆地。

新西兰空军部队指挥官安迪·斯科特空军准将表示，这次长途飞行非常重要，因为它证明了该飞机的实用性以及在广阔区域内自主部署的能力。

“这类航班增强了我们机组人员对系统的信心，”他说。

该中队指挥官克里斯·罗斯中校表示，这次飞行让机组人员有机会获得宝贵的长途飞行技能：“这是一项了不起的成就。”

NH90飞行队指挥官拉奇·约翰斯顿中队长表示，这次马拉松式飞行酝酿已久，早在2023年就已批准具备相关能力，但直到今年才有机会进行。

约翰斯顿说：“我们知道这架飞机能做到，也知道机组人员训练有素。直升机执行长途飞行并不罕见，但在如此广阔的水域上空进行如此长的航程，这确实是一项独特的能力。”

2005 年，新西兰国防领导人选择了欧洲设计的 NH90 直升机来取代新西兰皇家空军的 UH-1 易洛魁直升机。自 2015 年以来，已有 8 架 NH90 投入使用，另有 9 架作为备用机。

Nick Lee-Frampton 是《国防新闻》驻新西兰记者。