Joint Forces Push Limits in Snow | Christchurch News

New Zealand’s Army and Air Force just wrapped up a brutal, joint combat drill in freezing Tekapo — 250 troops pushed their limits under snow, ice, and simulated missile fire. Helicopters battled enemy threats using cutting-edge Phantom tech, while soldiers executed urban raids, live-fire drills, and night ops with NVGs. This rare collaboration between the High Readiness Task Unit and Air Force crews — who usually operate in silos — proved vital for real-world readiness, testing everything from mountain flying to mid-air refueling under pressure. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/0380dc195d99714d