The deployment of the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s first Boeing P-8A on Fiji will bolster Wellington’s engagements with regional partners and associated islands in the South Pacific. (New Zealand Defence Force)

The Royal New Zealand Air Force’s (RNZAF’s) first Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime reconnaissance aircraft has been conducting operational trials from Fiji.

The operational trials began in the first week of April. A spokesperson from the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) told Janes that the aircraft (NZ4801) and its crew are preparing for broad-range maritime surveillance operations. “Since the first P-8A was delivered to [the] NZDF in December 2022, the NZDF has been ensuring that its aircrew and support personnel are proficient to conduct maritime surveillance operations throughout the South Pacific environment,” the spokesperson said.

“This included supporting civilian agencies for such tasks as resource protection and search and rescue,” she added.