新西兰空军各作战中队全线出动：P-8A在太平洋定位3名失联基里巴斯渔民
新西兰国防军10月14日通报，皇家新西兰空军近期的行动节奏持续高企，每一个作战中队最近都有飞行任务，范围覆盖新西兰本土、太平洋和更广的亚太地区。
空军司令、空军少将达林·韦布（Darryn Webb）表示："对我们的空军来说，这是一段很棒的时期。我们每一个作战中队最近都在飞行，支援新西兰和我们的伙伴，从北岛中部到太平洋，再到整个亚太地区。"航空组成指挥官、空军准将安迪·斯科特（Andy Scott）说，在四天时间内，空军人员和飞机在纽埃、库克群岛、斐济、图瓦卢、巴布亚新几内亚、基里巴斯、瓦努阿图、新加坡、澳大利亚和美国以及国内执行任务、演习和应急响应。
近期任务中，第5中队的机组驾驶P-8A"海神"巡逻机在太平洋执行搜救任务，在塔拉瓦以东海域成功找到一艘小船上的三名基里巴斯渔民。飞行员斯图尔特·格伦丁宁（Stuart Glendinning）上尉说，这三名男子出海捕鱼后未归，其小艇的发动机在四天前发生故障；P-8A机组在距离海岸160多海里的地方找到了他们。"找到他们后，我们留在现场，并协调附近一艘船只实施救援，"格伦丁宁说。与此同时，第3中队的一架NH90直升机周末与新西兰警方搜救人员进行搜救训练，包括绞车作业熟悉训练；另有两架NH90由美国空军C-17运输机运往夏威夷，参加在联合太平洋多国战备中心与印太伙伴的演习。第40中队的一架C-130J"大力神"运输机把新西兰消防与应急部门的一辆消防车运往纽埃；第42中队人员驾驶MC-12K"翠鸟"飞机在瓦努阿图执行海上巡逻，支援太平洋岛屿论坛渔业局；一架P-8A在新加坡参加五国联防安排的"贝尔萨马·利马"演习；第6中队的"海妖"直升机机组随"特马纳"号和"奥特亚罗瓦"号军舰执行为期五个月的区域存在部署"熔炉行动"。
RNZAF Squadrons at Full Stretch Across the Pacific; P-8A Locates Three Kiribati Fishermen
Royal New Zealand Air Force squadrons have been delivering for the country during a busy operational period across New Zealand, the Pacific and the wider Asia-Pacific region, the New Zealand Defence Force said on October 14, with every operational squadron flying in recent times.
"It's been a great time for our Air Force," said Chief of Air Force, Air Vice-Marshal Darryn Webb."Every one of our operational squadrons has been flying in recent times in support of New Zealand and our partners, from the central North Island to the Pacific and across the Asia-Pacific region." Air Component Commander Air Commodore Andy Scott said that over a four-day period, there were personnel and aircraft on operations, exercises and providing contingency responses across Niue, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Tuvalu, Papua New Guinea, Kiribati, Vanuatu, Singapore, Australia and the United States, as well as at home.
Recent activities included crew from No. 5 Squadron flying a P-8A Poseidon on a search and rescue mission in the Pacific, successfully locating three Kiribati fishermen on a small boat to the east of Tarawa. Flight Lieutenant Stuart Glendinning said the three men had not returned from fishing and were located well over 160 nautical miles from shore, four days after the engine on their dinghy had failed. "We remained on the scene after finding the men and coordinated a rescue by a vessel nearby," he said.
While that mission was underway, No. 3 Squadron crews flew NH90 helicopter search and rescue training with New Zealand Police personnel, and two NH90s were deployed to Hawaii on US Air Force C-17 aircraft to exercise with Indo-Pacific partners at the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center. No. 40 Squadron deployed a C-130J Hercules to deliver a Fire and Emergency New Zealand fire appliance to Niue, and No. 42 Squadron personnel conducted maritime patrols on an MC-12K King Air in Vanuatu in support of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency. A P-8A also joined Five Power Defence Arrangements partners on Exercise Bersama Lima in Singapore, and No. 6 Squadron Seasprite crews, embarked on HMNZS Te Mana and Aotearoa, continued flying as part of Operation Crucible, a five-month regional presence deployment across the Asia-Pacific.
图片来源：P-8A"海神"巡逻机在新西兰参加"Kuru Kuru"行动演习（资料图）。图片来源：Wikimedia Commons，U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Glenn Slaughter 摄，公共领域
