An RNZN Kaman Seasprite SH-2G(I), equipped with a Kongsberg Penguin 2 Mod 7 anti-ship guided missile on its portside wing, is parked on the deck of HMNZS Te Kaha . (NZDF)
The recent test launch of a Kongsberg Penguin 2 Mod 7 anti-ship guided missile from a New Zealand Kaman Super Seasprite SH-2G(I) helicopter was part of preparations to ensure that the aircraft could provide “force protection” for a Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) vessel deploying in the Arabian Sea region, the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has said.
The NZDF described the launch, which was conducted in the second week of February, as a “world-first” from a Seasprite helicopter.
In a statement on 7 March, the NZDF said that the helicopter and crew were embarked on HMNZS Te Kaha (F77), which subsequently deployed in the Arabian Sea in support of CTF150 (Combined Task Force 150). The task force is focused on maritime security in the Middle East region, the service added.
According to the NZDF, the helicopter's primary role during the deployment is to conduct “forward-reaching identification and surveillance of suspicious vessels” based on intelligence from the CTF headquarters in Bahrain. “The helicopter will then provide force protection for Te Kaha's boarding crews who are searching for illicit cargoes of narcotics and weapons being shipped by terrorist and criminal organisations,” the service said.
The NZDF has not commented on why the missile was not test launched earlier. An NZDF spokesperson told Janes on 12 March that the missiles have been in New Zealand's inventory for several years. “The Penguin missiles were ordered together with the Super Seasprite SH-2G(I) aircraft in 2013 and delivered in 2015,” the spokesperson said.
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