New Zealand readies for 5-nation military air exercise

Aircraft from the forces of five nations are gathering in New Zealand for one of the country's biggest ever military air exercises this month. Exercise Kiwi Flag 2013 (KF13) would be a tactical flying training exercise for fixed-wing air transport aircraft involving forces from New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, the United States and French forces from New Caledonia, the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) announced Monday. The aircraft would be based at Ohakea Air Base, in the lower North Island, for the exercise, which would run from Nov. 6 to 29. The exercise will test the inter-operability skills of all participating forces in deployed tactical operations, said the statement. KF13 was being integrated with Exercise Southern Katipo 2013, the largest ever joint international military exercise to be held in New Zealand, which is being run in the South Island, involving air, land and maritime forces from nine countries. Both exercises were excellent opportunities for the NZDF to continue to develop regional relationships and improve inter- operability, said the statement. Operation Southern Katipo, which will involve 2,200 personnel, is aimed at testing the NZDF's capability to mount a medium-scale amphibious operation and its ability to operate effectively with coalition partners. The training scenario was set in the fictional southwest Pacific country of Mainlandia, which required intervention from the "League of Pacific Nations" to restore law and order. Exercise Southern Katipo began on Monday and will run till Nov. 29.