Soldiers rappelling down ropes over the Hauraki Gulf is just some of the things the New Zealand Defence Force did as part of a four-day joint amphibious exercise.

Major General Tim Gall, the Commander Joint Forces New Zealand, says the exercise simulated a combat situation that culminated in troops descending quickly on ropes from two Royal New Zealand Air Force NH90 helicopters to the Royal New Zealand Navy's strategic sealift ship HMNZS Canterbury while under way.

An RNZAF P-3K2 Orion surveillance aircraft, two sea boats and a platoon of soldiers also took part in the exercise.

'The scenario required all those assets to operate as one task group to overcome a threat,” says Tim.

'It was a test of how well we can coordinate various assets to achieve a combat mission. It was also a test of how effective our intelligence and communications are in fast-evolving situations.”

The exercise included day and night operations.

The NZDF conducted recently a four-day exercise to test a joint amphibious operation that involved a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 surveillance aircraft, HMNZS Canterbury, two sea boats, two RNZAF NH90 helicopters and a platoon of soldiers.