TC Yasa devastation

NZDF completes survey flights over Fiji after tropical cyclone Yasa

The Category 5 Tropical Cyclone, which has now been downgraded to a tropical low, has made its way through the Fijian islands and is tracking away through open seas in the South West Pacific.

A team from Headquarters Joint Forces, responsible for coordinating the NZDF response, deployed an NZDF C-130 Hercules from Base Auckland to conduct an initial survey flight on Saturday 19 December. 

According to the NZ defence Force, for operational reasons, the surveillance flights were conducted by an NZDF C-130 Hercules rather than the P3 Orion.