The first Royal New Zealand Air Force personnel to be trained on the new NH90 military helicopters will be sent to Europe in early 2009 and they may be away for over two years.
One RNZAF instructor pilot and one crew member will arrive in Germany early next year to start training on the German army's NH90 tactical transport helicopters, according to flightglobal.com, an aviation news website.
They are expected to stay in the country for up to 30 months, in line with a status of forces agreement signed by outgoing defence minister Phil Goff and Germany's ambassador to New Zealand.
The pact outlines the conditions for the temporary stay of New Zealand Defence Force personnel in Germany for the purposes of training, exercises and exchanges.
Germany was the first nation to receive a similar NH90 variant to that on order for New Zealand, and was also the first to introduce the type into service. In return, Germany is to send two of its helicopter pilots to New Zealand to learn how the nation operates its aircraft and trains its personnel.
Assembly of New Zealand's first NH90 has been completed at Eurocopter's Marignane site in France, with ground testing to commence shortly and first flight scheduled early next year.
New Zealand in 2006 ordered eight NH90s for $771 million including logistics support, spare parts and training.
To enter service between 2010 and 2011, the aircraft will replace its Vietnam War-era Bell UH-1Hs, and be able to support ground operations, counter-terrorism, disaster relief and counter-drug activities and search-and-rescue tasks.
The RNZAF's 14 Iroquois helicopters, affectionately known as "Hueys", arrived in New Zealand in 1966 and 1970 and since then have been deployed around many Pacific Basin countries, Antarctica and other parts of the world.
The fleet of eight French-built Eurocopter NH90 helicopters is expected to be fully operational in 2013.
The Government has also signed a $139 million contract for five new Agusta-Westland A109LUH light utility helicopters, their spares and a flight simulator, to enter service in 2011.
They will have defence and rescue roles, as well as being used to train pilots for the eight NH-90 medium utility helicopters.
