Sub-zero temperatures, snow-covered terrain and simulated missile attacks have formed the backdrop for one of the New Zealand Defence Force’s most demanding recent training exercises, as personnel prepared for the realities of modern combat operations. Around 250 personnel from the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s No. Around 250 personnel from the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s No. The exercise was based on a fictional conflict scenario in the Pacific, testing how air and ground forces would respond in a rapidly changing operational environment. The exercise forms part of the New Zealand Defence Force’s ongoing efforts to maintain combat readiness and prepare personnel for increasingly complex security environments, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region.