Luftwaffe means Air Force in German. Photo: Samantha Gee / RNZ
Low-flying military aircraft have been seen around the country over the last week, with a deployment from the German Air Force setting up in Woodbourne, near Blenheim, where its members are training with the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
The joint exercise- Tūhono Rangi - involves German military aircraft doing formation and low-altitude flights and deploying parachutists and cargo around the country.
The German Air Force has brought two A400 planes from the Air Transport Wing 62, and a Airbus A330 and A321 from the Special Mission Wing to New Zealand.
Colonel Markus Knoll, who is piloting one of the Airbus A400 aircraft, said the six-day journey from Germany via Europe, the United States and Fiji, was a dream come true for a pilot.
Once arriving in New Zealand, he said they were able to fly the A400s in their full tactical spectrum.
"In Blenheim, we've got, from our point of view, a very short runway, so we have to take care to do some short field landings, we do some low-level flying that's unique, we can go down to 300 feet (91m) AGL (above ground level), we're not allowed to do this in Germany, only 500 feet (152m) AGL.
The Germans were working closely with the RNZAF Combat Support Squadron (CSS) from Base Ohakea, and Knoll said they were developing interoperability, which would allow them to work together on operations in the future.
The cockpit of a German Air Force A400 during a training exercise in NZ. Photo: Samantha Gee / RNZ
Over the next week, working alongside the New Zealand Army at Waiouru, they will practice dropping containers of kit and supplies in various locations.
"We've done these airdrops over the Gaza Strip for humanitarian relief, and now we have to train the four crews we've brought with us to use our newest software in the A400 so we can do some automatic drops."
The joint military exercise is called Tūhono Rangi. Photo: Samantha Gee / RNZ
The German Air Force first visited Base Ohakea last year as part of the Pacific Skies exercise, marking the first time operational German and Spanish military aircraft had come to New Zealand.
Knoll said that was the beginning of a partnership between the two countries, with the current mission an invaluable chance to work together.
"We learn a lot from each other - in the military world nowadays you're never ever on your own, you're always in a 'coalition of the willing' or NATO, together with partners.
"New Zealand is one of the partners and if we train together, if you get used to each other, if our tactics fit with the others - that's great, we are stronger together."
German Air Force Colonel Markus Knoll flew one of the A400s to New Zealand, a journey that took six days. Photo: Samantha Gee / RNZ
Operation squadron leader Matt Williams led the exercise to mount and deploy from Ohakea to Woodbourne, ensuring all capabilities could be deployed effectively through military air assets, then set up again in location, operational and ready to support.
He said they did not often get a chance to operate with aircraft like the A400.
RNZAF pilots were able to sit alongside the German pilots in flight to gain an understanding of the systems and processes they used, while also helping them to understand New Zealand's unique flying environment.
Flight Lieutenant Shane Leaming is a security forces officer in combat support services. Photo: Samantha Gee / RNZ
About 60 Air Force personnel came down from Ohakea to support the mission, including Flight Lieutenant Shane Leaming, a security forces officer.
"New Zealand is very far away from the centre of the world where the big militaries are, such as Europe and America, so it's very cool when a detachment of them comes all the way to New Zealand just to fly in our airspace and work with us."
A German Air Force A400 flying across the Tasman Sea. Photo: Samantha Gee / RNZ
His work in combat service support involved leading security forces teams to protect aircraft and military bases in scenarios during the exercise.
"For my teams to practice their flyaway techniques and procedures, one of the hardest things for us to access is actually having ready access to an aircraft because our planes are so busy - so having the Germans here willing to fly four flights per day that my team can jump on, and we have a scenario that is safe but also tests us, that's the best part."
Inside a German Military A400 aircraft. Photo: Samantha Gee / RNZ
Corporal Ezra Te Awe Awe, a logistics specialist in the air movements team, said it was the first time he had worked with the German Air Force. He had been loading and unloading passengers, signing off pre-flight paperwork, securing cargo and marshalling the aircraft in and out.
"Being able to marshal them in, it's different to what we usually do with our aircraft. Working with A400s, you don't really get to do that in New Zealand."
Corporal Ezra Te Awe Awe, a logistics specialist in the air movements team. Photo: Samantha Gee / RNZ
The German military aircraft will be visible in the skies for the next week, until exercise Tūhono Rangi concludes.
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