DEFENCE
The ties that bind: Defence Minister lauds NZDF Tonga assistance In his inaugural Line of Defence article, Defence Minister Peeni Henare provides his perspectives on the NZDF’s HADR operations in response to the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai eruption.
Hon Peeni Henare MP is New Zealand Minister of Defence and Minister for Whānau Ora.
On the 15th of January 2022, Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai, a submarine volcano in Tonga, erupted violently. The eruption sent shockwaves around the world, and was heard across the Pacific, even as far away as Alaska. The tsunami that followed destroyed hundreds of homes in Tonga, and left remote islands cut off with no access to communications. The New Zealand Government is absolutely committed to the wellbeing of our Pacific neighbours, so we acted swiftly to provide support to the Tongan people as they responded to the disaster.
As Minister of Defence, I was proud to see the New Zealand Defence Force work efficiently and collaboratively alongside defence forces from other countries, including Australia, to quickly assist those in need. Within 24 hours, a Royal New Zealand Air Force P3K2 Orion was on stand-by waiting for the ash clouds to subside, allowing it to carry out aerial surveillance of the damage done across the kingdom. This surveillance flight was able to alert authorities to the fact that the runway at Tonga’s main airport was covered in ash, and would need to be
An RNZAF New Zealand Airforce P3 Orion in Auckland before leaving for Tonga. Image NZDF
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Line of Defence
