While most of us are worried about the state of the roads, the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) has decided to look a little higher. A lot higher, actually. Forget potholes and speed cameras; the new frontier is, well, the final frontier. The NZDF has officially entered the space race, or at least, the space monitoring race, by reactivating a squadron with its eyes firmly on the stars.
Don’t think of this as a brand-new model, but more of a classic getting a high-tech restomod. The RNZAF has dusted off the old No. 62 Squadron, which originally saw action in World War II using the cutting-edge radar technology of its day. Now, its old-school chassis has been fitted with a new mission: space domain awareness. This means less dogfighting in Spitfires and more keeping a watchful eye on the satellites that make our modern lives tick.
According to Defence Minister Judith Collins, this is a vital upgrade. “Space is vital for modern life,” she stated, noting our reliance on space-based infrastructure for everything from watching the weather forecast to making financial transactions. In motoring terms, it’s about making sure the GPS satellites that guide your SUV to that obscure cafe with the great flat whites are safe and sound. It’s an important signal that New Zealand is “taking space security seriously”.
So, what does this new space unit actually do? Will they be flying Vipers and battling Cylons? Not quite. The squadron’s initial job description involves “monitoring, analysing, and understanding space activity to safeguard national and international interests”. Think of them less as starship troopers and more as the ultimate orbital neighbourhood watch, tracking thousands of objects, from critical communications satellites to rogue space junk, to ensure nothing untoward happens in our patch of the cosmos.
This isn’t some vanity project with a flashy new badge. The reactivation is a key component of the recent Defence Capability Plan, a strategic overhaul backed by a hefty $12 billion commitment to upgrade the Defence Force over the next four years. The goal is to maintain a “combat-capable, flexible force” fit for the modern world.
So, while we may not see an RNZAF roundel on a spaceship anytime soon, it’s a significant step. Our defence focus has officially expanded from the wild blue yonder to the vast black vacuum. One small step for the RNZAF, one giant leap for ensuring your EFTPOS works at the pump.
