Zitat:The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) has established its first unit – No 62 Squadron – dedicated to space operations.

On 4 July, New Zealand's Defence Minister Judith Collins announced the establishment of this new space unit based at RNZAF Base Auckland. “Space is vital for modern life. We rely on space-based infrastructure for a range of critical services, from weather observation to financial transactions. [The establishment of No 62 Squadron] is an important signal that we're taking space security seriously,” Collins said.

The New Zealand Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the No 62 Squadron has been operating since the Second World War. The unit was initially focused on radar operations. Its focus has now been shifted to space domain awareness (SDA). “The [No 62 Squadron's] initial focus will be on monitoring, analysing, and understanding space activity to safeguard national and international interests,” Collins added.

A spokesperson for the MoD told Janes in May that the decision to activate a dedicated space unit is aligned with the New Zealand Defence Force's (NZDF's) activities under the Joint Commercial Operations (JCO) SDA initiative and Operation ‘Olympic Defender', both of which are US Space Force (USSF)-led multinational initiatives to bolster SDA. [...]