PNG Highlands Host ADF Chinook Training Ahead of Exercise Wantok Warrior
Papua New Guinea’s rugged Central Highlands became the training ground for Australian Defence Force (ADF) pilots and aircrew who recently completed intensive high-altitude flying exercises ahead of Exercise Wantok Warrior with the PNG Defence Force (PNGDF).
About 100 personnel from the ADF’s 5th Aviation Regiment and four CH-47F Chinook helicopters conducted daily flights across the Owen Stanley Ranges as part of Exercise Helicon Luk 2025. The training was designed to develop and certify pilots in operating safely at altitude and in mountainous terrain.
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| Photo caption: “An ADF CH-47F Chinook prepares for a high-altitude landing in the Central Highlands during Exercise Helicon Luk 2025, ahead of Exercise Wantok Warrior with the PNGDF. Photo: Defence Australia / Australian Army.” |
ADF officials said the program gave aircrews vital experience in take-off, landing, and handling aircraft in thin-air conditions, significantly different from operations at their home base in Townsville, Queensland, where the highest peak reaches just 1,700 feet.
During the exercise, crews operated at heights above 9,000 feet, confronting real-world challenges in performance and navigation unique to PNG’s mountainous landscape. “This experience is invaluable for developing operational readiness in similar environments,” one ADF spokesperson said.
The high-altitude sorties also serve as preparation for the upcoming Exercise Wantok Warrior, a joint military engagement between the ADF and PNGDF focused on strengthening cooperation and readiness for regional security operations.
Both forces have continued to build strong partnerships through regular exercises aimed at improving interoperability and emergency response coordination. The ADF said such collaboration demonstrates its long-term commitment to supporting PNG’s defence capacity.
A Defence Australia statement said, “This activity enhances safety, capability, and mutual understanding between our nations as we prepare for joint operations.”
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