If you're lying in bed tonight and hear a loud thumping noise vibrating through the air you can relax: the Bay is not under attack.
But getting around Tauranga fast without being detected is what the pilots of up to six Iroquois helicopters from No 3 Squadron RNZAF will be aiming
to do tonight.
The helicopter pilots will simulate battle conditions to get to Port of Tauranga from various bases, arriving together on time and undetected by "enemy" radar.
Tauranga people, however, will probably be able to hear them loud and clear.
Danielle Coe from Defence public relations said the helicopters would be coming in low and fast, practising flying in formation.
"They will be in a combat environment, and have to get in and out as fast as possible. They also have to get their timings right."
The 160 aircrew involved are taking part in their annual exercise, this time called Exercise Steel Talon.
She said the Iroquois would be armed with at least one machine gun, but no live ammunition or explosives would be fired during the exercise over Tauranga.
Steel Talon is a tactical flying exercise designed to train aircrew to operate in a multi-aircraft environment.
The helicopters will be in Western Bay air space from 8pm to 2am tonight, for just the one night.
