No.3 Squadron rose to the challenge with the NH90 after Cyclone Gabrielle
In February 2023, Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle hit the North Island of New Zealand, devastating parts of the region and putting the inhabitants’ lives at risk. This severe weather event followed high rainfall in January that had already caused extensive damage to the North Island, including in Auckland. A key contributor to the disaster relief operations led by the National Emergency Management Agency and regional civil emergency authorities, the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) was able to rely on a significant ally throughout the rescue operations: the NH90.
Even before Gabrielle reached New Zealand, first responders were part of careful planning and organisation. Ahead of the cyclone, the NZDF had personnel on standby, ready to assist with the emergency response: air and land elements were quickly deployed to assist with the immediate response including the evacuation of residents, and provided reconnaissance flights to help authorities understand the impact of the cyclone and assist with planning relief efforts. At the height of the climatic event, extensive damage to roads, and widespread power and communications outages caused multiple operational challenges for all agencies engaged in the emergency response. The NZDF mobilised nearly 1,000 personnel, along with several ships, aircraft, and numerous military vehicles.
To sustain the disaster relief effort, No. 3 Squadron deployed three NH90 helicopters to Hawke’s Bay and one to Auckland. “By the end of the first week of emergency response, the Air Force’s NH90s had distributed more than 42.5 tonnes of essential supplies throughout Hawkes Bay and Tairāwhiti, flying for more than 120 hours and transporting more than 260 civilian and military personnel, along with 17 dogs and five cats, and had underslung more than 13 tonnes of equipment”, says Wing Commander Greg Jane, Commanding Officer of No.3 Squadron.