Australian F-35As Make Historic First Landing in New Zealand to Deepen Indo-Pacific Air Power Integration.

Australian F-35A Lightning II fighters have operated from New Zealand for the first time, with the Royal Australian Air Force confirming the milestone on September 23, 2026, after Exercise Agile Tasman at RNZAF Base Ohakea. The deployment demonstrated more than access to a partner airfield, testing how Australia could sustain fifth-generation combat aircraft away from its established bases through forward refuelling, rearming and combined support.

Two F-35As were refuelled and rearmed at Ohakea with support from an Australian C-130J Hercules, marking the RAAF’s first Forward Arming and Refuelling Point training conducted outside Australia. Combined with air-interception and joint terminal attack control training, the exercise strengthened Australia and New Zealand’s ability to support distributed combat-air operations and generate integrated air power across the Indo-Pacific.

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Australian F-35A Lightning II fighters landed in New Zealand for the first time during Exercise Agile Tasman, testing forward rearming, refuelling and integrated combat operations from RNZAF Base Ohakea (Picture Source: Royal Australian Air Force)

On September 23, 2026, the Royal Australian Air Force confirmed a milestone in trans-Tasman air combat cooperation: Australian F-35A Lightning II fighters had landed on New Zealand soil for the first time. The deployment took place at RNZAF Base Ohakea during Exercise Agile Tasman, held from September 7 to 10, bringing Australia's fifth-generation combat aircraft to New Zealand for bilateral training. Beyond the symbolism of the historic first landing, the activity tested how Australian combat aircraft and their supporting elements could operate, rearm and refuel away from their established bases.

Two F-35A Lightning IIs from the RAAF's No. 3 Squadron deployed to Ohakea for the exercise, working alongside the New Zealand Defence Force to strengthen combined combat readiness. The fighters assisted the development of New Zealand Joint Terminal Attack Controllers, giving NZDF personnel direct experience integrating ground-based targeting and air-support procedures with a fifth-generation combat aircraft. Exercise Agile Tasman also saw the Australian F-35As conduct air-interception activity alongside a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-8A Poseidon over the North Island's east coast, adding an air-to-air integration component to a deployment that extended well beyond a ceremonial first visit.

More significant from an operational-support perspective was the establishment of a Forward Arming and Refuelling Point, or FARP, at Ohakea. A No. 37 Squadron C-130J Hercules supported the rearming and refuelling of the two No. 3 Squadron F-35As, while Australian and New Zealand personnel contributed to the wider support and force-protection effort. According to the Australian Defence announcement, Exercise Agile Tasman represented the first time the RAAF had conducted FARP training outside Australia. The achievement went beyond proving that F-35As could deploy across the Tasman: it demonstrated the ability to combine fighters, air mobility, weapons loading, refuelling and security elements to sustain combat-aircraft operations from a partner nation's territory.

That capability carries particular relevance for distributed air operations. Fifth-generation combat power depends not only on the aircraft itself, but also on the ability to move fuel, weapons, personnel and supporting equipment to locations from which fighters can rapidly regenerate sorties. By combining the F-35A with C-130J-supported forward rearming and refuelling at Ohakea, Agile Tasman exercised procedures that could give the RAAF greater flexibility when operating beyond its permanent Australian bases. Just as importantly, operating from a New Zealand base required Australian and New Zealand personnel to integrate across multiple support functions, reinforcing the practical interoperability needed to sustain high-end air operations. The exercise should be viewed not simply as a historic aircraft deployment, but as another step toward a more distributed and integrated trans-Tasman air combat capability.

RAAF Exercise Agile Tasman contingent commander Wing Commander Mark Biele described the activity as an effort to maximise capabilities already available to both countries while protecting their shared interests. He also emphasised the progression from interoperability toward what he termed “interchangeability” between Australian and New Zealand forces. New Zealand Chief of Air Force Air Vice-Marshal Darryn Webb similarly said combined exercises were intended to enhance operational readiness and develop shared combat capability, describing Agile Tasman as an important step along that path. The deployment also coincided with the 110th anniversary of No. 3 Squadron, giving one of Australia's oldest operational squadrons an additional milestone during its first F-35A deployment to New Zealand.

The first landing of Australian F-35A Lightning IIs in New Zealand marked more than a historic crossing of the Tasman and operations from Ohakea. Australia and New Zealand used the deployment to integrate fifth-generation fighters with air mobility, forward arming and refuelling, joint terminal attack control, force protection and combined air operations in a partner-country environment. For the RAAF, Exercise Agile Tasman tested another option for sustaining its most advanced combat aircraft beyond Australian territory, while New Zealand gained direct experience operating alongside and supporting a fifth-generation fighter force. Together, these activities showed how the two defence forces are building a more integrated approach to generating air combat effects across the region.

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Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group

Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.