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A Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K Orion.

New Zealand Defence Force
Te Ope Kaatua O Aotearoa

Media Release

20 April 2009

AIR FORCE ORION TO SEARCH FOR YACHT

A Royal New Zealand Air Force Orion is set to embark on a Search and Rescue mission for a missing yacht between North Cape and Norfolk Island.

The Orion has been tasked by the New Zealand Rescue Coordination Centre to search for a 13 metre yacht, with three persons on board.

The aircraft is set to depart from Air Force Base Whenuapai in approximately two hours.

Updates will follow as more information becomes available.

ENDS

Background notes

• The RNZAF maintains a P-3K Orion and crew on 24-hour search and rescue call out 365 days of the year A permanent crew is always on two hour call out standby.

• The P-3K Orion has a flight time of 15 hours during search and rescue operations with engines shut down to preserve fuel.

• The RNZAF is funded for 80 search and rescue flying hours annually.

• No.5 Squadron is one of the force elements under the command of the Air Component Commander JFHQ. Located at RNZAF Base Auckland, the Squadron is the RNZAF's only maritime patrol squadron. It is responsible for surveillance of New Zealand's maritime area of interest, which is approximately 1/12 of the world's ocean surface, ranging from the Antarctic to the equator.

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