Pacific soldiers and NZ troops go head‑to‑head, side-by-side in toughest skills challenge to date

Mud, rain and cold didn’t stop soldiers from digging deep at one of the New Zealand Army’s hardest challenges this year.

Soldiers from Fiji and Australia joined 10 teams from Aotearoa, and, for the first time, a team from Tonga’s His Majesty’s Armed Forces.

Together they pushed through a three‑day grind of marches, weapon drills, teamwork tests, and leadership challenges at the Skill at Arms competition at Waiouru in the central North Island last week.

Fijian Lance-Corporal Timothy MacPherson said the team made a bold choice on strategy: “We chose not to wear wet-weather gear so we could make the experience as hard as possible.

"This is what we may encounter overseas so we need to be able to perform.”

He described how his team faced one of the toughest tests: a cold water crossing and came out smiling.

The Fijian team chose not to wear wet-weather gear so they could make the experience as hard as possible. Photo/NZDF

“Everyone expected the pond swim to be our weakest point and when we got in, we couldn’t feel our legs. But our spirit got us through and we scored 1000 marks out of 1000.

"When we heard that, we were shouting like it was the end of the competition.”

Tonga’s Captain Mikaele Feao also highlighted the wider purpose of taking part: joining the event wasn’t just about the challenge, he said, it was about building connections with regional partners, both now and for the future.

Soldiers from New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, and Tonga push through mud, rain, and cold at Waiouru in the 1st (NZ) Brigade Skill at Arms competition.

What happens in Skill at Arms

The competition is brutal by design. Teams cover almost 20km with packs weighing around 30kg, little sleep, and minimal rations.

They face skill stands that test weapons handling, fitness and combat shooting, and teamwork when conditions turn bad.

Training Warrant Officer WO1 Paul Buckley explained the aim: “All soldiers, combat and combat support services, must display core soldiering skills of weapon handling, fitness and combat shooting techniques.”

He said the tasks are a real way to judge strengths and weaknesses under pressure: “These tests identify their physical and mental strength, painting a picture as to how soldiers will perform in arduous and austere conditions in potential combat situations.”

By the end, NZ’s 5th/7th Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment dominated. They took home all three major trophies, including the Falling Plate shooting trophy and the Top Reserve Force title.

But for many of the international teams, success was measured just as much in resilience and camaraderie forged along the way.

Teams faced icy waters in a pond swim test: a moment where courage, teamwork, and sheer grit counted most. Photo/NZDF

Why this matters for the Pacific

1st (NZ) Brigade Commander Colonel Mike van Welie stressed the bigger picture: “The threats to our nations are too much to weather alone, but together we can harness our individual strengths and secure our region.”

He listed a range of shared pressures, from climate change to strategic competition, that affect security across the Pacific.

Exercises like Skill at Arms, where Aotearoa, Australia, and Pacific partners work together, are one way of building trust and joint capability so countries can respond together to regional challenges.

Leaders from Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea observed this year’s challenge with interest.

They could send teams next year - a sign the competition may grow into an even stronger Pacific platform for shared training, trust and readiness.