Christchurch company catches Royal Danish Air Force's attention with what's thought to be world's first portable liquid oxygen generator

Watch: Major NATO nation buys what's thought to be world's first portable liquid

Watch: Major NATO nation buys what's thought to be world's first portable liquid oxygen generator from Christchurch company. Credits: Newshub.

A major NATO nation has bought from a company in Christchurch what's thought to be the world's first portable liquid oxygen generator.

It's designed to provide medical-grade oxygen to fighter jets and field hospitals anywhere in the world.

Inside a nondescript shipping container is a maze of sophisticated technology.

"It takes air in from around us 21 percent oxygen and it purifies that up to 99.5 percent oxygen," said Jonas Meier, Fabrum lead cryogenic engineer.

That's caught the attention of the Royal Danish Air Force to supply its F-16 fighter jets and C-130 Hercules with breathing oxygen.

"We've been looking into this for the past 10 years, so it's been a long journey," said Merete Kjølholm from the Danish Defence Command.

Until now, they've had to buy and ship it into warzones or missions.

"If we have a deployment … to a country with our F-16s or with the Hercules, we could consider bringing it with us," Kjølholm said.

Even at home, F-16s are a key weapon for Denmark's defence.

"We have a lot of Russian aeroplanes that test our borders to the east," said Mads Bangsbostrand from the Danish Defence Command.

For security purposes, Newshub was limited in what we could actually show inside the container.

A 3D model gives an idea of the steps involved, showing atmospheric air sucked inside, compressed and dried.

"Across to the pressure swing adsorber, which separates nitrogen and oxygen," Meier said.

The oxygen is then moved to the cryogenic refrigerator to cool and liquefy.

"The cryo cooler is really the enabling part of this entire system. Without the cryo cooler you can't make liquid oxygen," Meier said.

It's vital for humanitarian purposes too.

"This system could provide oxygen for up to 50 intensive care patients," Meier said.

All inside a shipping container that can be transported in a C-130.

"That they've crammed it in a 20-foot container is quite impressive," Bangsbostrand said.

Kiwi engineering powering the defence of a major NATO nation.