P-3 Orion leaves Royal New Zealand Air Force Base Whenuapai on it's way to conduct maritime security opperations in the Middle East. NZDF photo.

RNZAF sends Orion to Middle East

10/02/2017 Brian Hartigan 2688 Views 0 Comments P-3K2 Orion, Royal New Zealand Air Force

Two sad but proud boys see daddy off to war before school at RNZAF Base Whenuapai. — Two sad but proud boys see daddy off to war before school.

The New Zealand Defence Force sent a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 Orion surveillance aircraft this morning to the Middle East to join an international partnership against piracy and people and drug trafficking.

Air Vice-Marshal Tony Davies, Chief of Air Force, farewelled mission commander Wing Commander Daniel Hunt and the air crew at RNZAF Base Auckland.

Most of the members of a 55-strong NZDF supporting contingent left earlier this week.

The NZDF team will help patrol 3.2 million square miles of international waters in the Middle East to support the US-led Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) over the next 12 months.

“The contingent is looking forward to working with our CMF partners to keep the seas safe in the Middle East,” Wing Commander Hunt said.

The CMF is a 31-nation naval partnership that promotes maritime security and seeks to defeat terrorism and prevent piracy and people and drug trafficking.