Aircraft head to Southeast Asian exercise By Luz Baguioro, Public Affairs Manager – Joint Forces New Zealand A P-3K2 Orion aircraft from the RNZAF’s Airborne Surveillance and Reconnaissance Force and a Seasprite helicopter are among 45 aircraft taking part in a threeweek warfighting exercise held by the world’s second oldest military partnership. Exercise Bersama Shield 17 is a Five Power Defence Arrangement
(FPDA) exercise, being conducted from April 20 – May 9 in Singapore and Malaysia. The annual naval and air exercise is conducted under the Five Power Defence Arrangements
(FPDA), which is made up of Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom. The NZDF has also sent the Royal New Zealand Navy frigate HMNZS TE
KAHA, the tanker HMNZS ENDEAVOUR and about 270 personnel to the exercise. Acting Wing Commander Ben Till, who is leading the NZDF contingent, said TE KAHA was the flagship of the maritime task group, with Commanding Officer Commander Steve Lenik serving as the task group commander. In the first phase of the exercise, the various forces would integrate, followed by five days of extensive training, he said. “This will culminate in a two-day warfighting scenario against a fictional enemy, requiring the participants to |