The New Zealand Air Force has launched AGM-84 Harpoon guided missiles from a P-8A Poseidon aircraft for the first time, during a multinational training exercise near Guam.
Two missiles hit a decommissioned vessel during Exercise Valiant Shield, which brought together forces from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Japan and the United States. The Harpoon missiles, supplied by the Australian Defence Force, can strike ships accurately from at least 100 kilometres away.
The live-fire event represents the first use of air-to-surface missiles by the Poseidon fleet, which arrived in New Zealand in 2022. Three P-8A crews participated in the exercise, firing four Harpoon missiles in total at the target ship alongside weapons from surface vessels and submarines.
Air Commodore Andy Scott described the exercise as a step forward for the Air Force. "These activities are critical to the New Zealand Defence Force's readiness to be able to meet the challenges of a deteriorating strategic environment, and we are incredibly grateful for the support of partners to assist us in regenerating the ability to rapidly strike targets at distance," he said.
Scott said developing such capability takes time. "This is not something you can generate overnight," he said, adding that "part of military readiness is having the ability to do so if called upon".