15 July 2020: Hawker Pacific successfully delivered its final mission focused Beechcraft King Air 350 to the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF). The new multi-engine KA350 aircraft will begin service with a focus on new aircrew training.
“Hawker Pacific is proud to have successfully completed this milestone delivery to the NZDF,” said Craig Purry, Vice President Government Business Asia-Pacific, Jet Aviation. “Our experts in special missions and those of our strategic partners (Marops and Collins Aerospace) have spent three and a half years alongside the RNZAF and NZDF in bringing this comprehensive training capability to life. I know these modified, mission-focused aircraft and ground training systems will deliver on their assignments.”
Under a 10-year agreement with the NZDF, Hawker Pacific is responsible for acquisition, modification and delivery of four multi-functioned, mission-focused King Air 350 (KA350) aircraft. It is also charged with delivering transport and training systems through real in-flight and virtual methods, and supporting these with a ground base training system, including engineering and logistics support, for use by the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) at Base Ohakea. An acceptance ceremony for the fourth and final KA350 delivery was held at the Ohakea Air Force base with New Zealand’s Minster of Defence, the Honourable Ron Mark, presiding.
“As we move on to the next phase of our agreement, the Hawker Pacific New Zealand team, whose sterling efforts have enabled this capability, will continue to provide exceptional service as they deliver on the through-life, turn-key systems support for the RNZAF 42 Squadron,” added Craig.
Building on the NZDF interim Advanced Pilot Training Capability served by its former Beechcraft King Air 200 fleet, this new aircrew training capability provides airborne and ground training systems for multi-engine pilot training while concurrently training and graduating air warfare officers for the first time in New Zealand in more than two decades.
