Aircraft sales and support company Hawker Pacific has received an award for excellence from the New Zealand Ministry of Defence.
The award for excellence for the provision of a service to Defence in the less than NZ$15 million category relates to Hawker Pacific’s five-year performance based contract with the New Zealand Defence Force to supply and maintain four Beechcraft King Air B200s that was signed in 2012.
The contract has covered a range of modifications to the aircraft before it entered service with the Royal New Zealand Air Force and maintenance of the fleet operated by 42 Squadron at Ohakea.
Hawker Pacific general manager for New Zealand Maurice Gordon was delighted to receive the award, given 2016 was the third year the company had been nominated and following its recognition as a finalist in 2015.
“We are very fortunate to be involved with such a professional and supportive customer,” Gordon said in a statement.
“This award acknowledges the excellence of those 42 Squadron personnel and Royal New Zealand Air Force Ohakea, whom Hawker Pacific work with on a day to day basis.”
The New Zealand Ministry of Defence Awards of excellence to industry was established by the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council (NZDIAC) in 1998. They seek recognise the contribution of industry to defence.
In recognising Hawker Pacific, the Ministry said on its website: “Staff from Hawker Pacific also deployed with the New Zealand Defence Force to Fiji, following Cyclone Winston to provide engineering support. Hawker Pacific moulded and adapted their own personnel management practices to fit the military deployment model to enable their staff to be deployed to assist in this operation.”
There were also two other awards handed out.
The award in the provision of a product to Defence less than NZ$15 million category was given to MetOcean Solutions Limited, which partnered with the Defence Technology Agency to create the Surfzone View Tool for the Royal New Zealand Navy.
“Surfzone View increases the safety and efficiency of amphibious landings for personnel by enabling the surf conditions close to the beach to be modelled,” the Ministry said.
Finally Kongsberg Defence Systems was judged the winner in the provision of a product or serviced to Defence in excess of NZ$15 million category. The company partnered with the Ministry of Defence to “deliver an important capability as part of the upgraded Super Seasprite helicopter project which is vital for our naval combat capability”.
