A Penguin missile was fired for he first time from a Seasprite helicopter recently in a world first for New Zealand.
Video / NZ Defence Force
In a world first, the Royal New Zealand Air Force has test-fired a cruise missile from a Seasprite helicopter during a live-fire exercise in the Arabian Sea.
The Penguin anti-ship guided missile, which carries a 120kg warhead, has been part of the New Zealand Defence Force armoury since 2013.
But this is the first time the weapon has been tested by the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF), due to delays caused by the propellant motors, requiring their replacement.
The Seaspite helicopter is deployed on HMNZS Te Kaha in the Arabian Sea. Photo / Australian Defence
The Norwegian-built missile has a range of over 34km and is designed to skip across the ocean surface. It can penetrate targets at the waterline before detonating with a delayed fuse.
It’s the first time a cruise missile has been fired from a Seasprite, the RNZAF said.
RNZAF No 6 Squadron armament technician sergeant Shaun Lindsay said that the life-fire exercise provided invaluable training and experience for armourers.
The Penguin missile has a range of over 34km. Photo / New Zealand Defence Force
“While we do training evolutions with non-live weapons fairly regularly, it’s rare that we get a chance to go out and do it in a more realistic environment,” he said.
“We deployed a few extra armourers on the ship so we could spread the experience and knowledge.”
Lindsay said that the live-fire missile launch required specialist training and experience for it to be completely successful.
The missile hit the target. Photo / New Zealand Defence Force
“The weapon needed to be loaded and prepared – the wings have to be fitted, canards, which are hydraulically actuated to steer the missile, have to be fitted, as well as safety checks to ensure the missile will function as intended.”
And while it is hoped the missiles will never be needed, somebody does need to know how to work them, Lindsay said.
“It’s always a good opportunity to put that into practice because at the end of the day, if the nation needs us to stand up at short notice, we need to be able to provide that.”
The helicopter and crew were embarked on Navy frigate HMNZS Te Kaha, which is deploying to the Arabian Sea with the service’s Combined Task Force 150, searching for illegal weapons shipped by terrorists and narcotic trafficking.
HMNZS Te Kaha and the Seasprite helicopter working as part of the Combined Task Force 150, searching for illegal weapons shipped by terrorists and narcotic trafficking. Photo / Australian Defence Force
The Seasprite helicopter conducts maritime patrols and forward-reaching identification and surveillance of suspicious vessels.
Without the Seasprite and Penguin missile system, the frigate would not be able to engage sea targets beyond the 11km range of torpedoes, putting it at a disadvantage against naval threats.
The missile can also be launched from altitude and employ a glide function prior to the engines firing, giving it a range of up to 55km, and employs an infrared homing head, giving it an advantage of stealth of the target attack.
Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
