Two of Australia’s most advanced fighter jets landed at an air base near Palmerston North this week, giving New Zealand a rare look at some seriously high-tech aircraft.
The two F-35A Lightning II stealth jets, flown by the Royal Australian Air Force’s No. 3 Squadron, arrived at RNZAF Base Ohakea on 8 September 2026. The next day, they took part in training exercises with the New Zealand Defence Force, including practice bombing runs and mock dogfights.
The jets are known as “fifth-generation” fighters, meaning they are some of the most advanced planes in the world. They are built to be very hard to spot on radar, and can carry out both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.
Mark Biele, Commanding Officer of No. 3 Squadron, said the jets are far more powerful than they look. “The amount of thrust we have during take off is still quite overwhelming,” he said.
Australia currently has 72 of these jets, and 16 other countries around the world fly them too.
Air Vice-Marshal Darryn Webb, Chief of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, said the visit was about strengthening ties between the two countries. “It’s about bringing the two nations together, working side-by-side in these training environments,” he said.
As well as training at Ohakea, the jets flew over parts of Manawatū, Hawke’s Bay, Marlborough and Canterbury, so plenty of Kiwis got the chance to spot them zooming past overhead.
The jets were due to head back to Australia on 10 September 2026, after two busy days of training with their New Zealand counterparts.
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