Yes, again something I did not really think about in regards to those campaigns and merely assumed on purely a numbers basis. Shows how the type of warfighting has changed over the ages as well, type, technology and tactics are always evolving and the frontline shifts or is non-defined.
The budget is due out in two or three weeks and parliament sits again this week. Big Gerry and the Leader of the Opposition were in Iraq this week to visit the troops.
I would not think that the D.W.P. would be released until he got back and optimism in regard to the governments attitude to defence has seldom been rewarded. However there is always a first time, here's hoping, miracles do happen, sometimes.Big Gerry, the Defence Minister, is definitely doing the rounds whilst he is in the Mid East and it appears that he has the Leader of the Opposition, NZ Labour Party Leader Andrew Little, with him. He has just been to Egypt and Israel where he has had bilateral meetings with his counterparts. Next is the Anti Daesh Coalition meeting in Germany. One comment that Little made "... was clear that coalition partners wanted NZ to do more". He has opposed NZ troops in Iraq so it will be interesting what he takes away from this trip. If it helps create a more favourable attitude towards NZDF then that is a good outcome, but I think that I am being overly optimistic
Lucasnz
Interesting, very interesting. I wonder who's behind it but it is good to see such a publication out. Thanks Lucas, nice find.
Thanks for that, a good read. Where it mentions a Sea hercules C130 J caught my eye, the idea too of a single fleet replacement for both airlift and transport, though not necessarily to be a C130 one!
The SC130J is a paper plane with no prototype and no one operating it. It is a to risky proposition for NZ to even think of.
Peter Greener writes an interesting article and it is worth the read. However the SC130J Sea Hercules that he does suggest is in reality a dead duck.Whilst Mr C is very much a proponent of the P8A because of commonality and compatibility with RAAF, USN & RAF, I think that it is not necessarily the answer either because of cost and range. My view is that compatibility can be achieved through the systems within the platform and I think that because of the limited budget, a business jet conversion such as the IAI ELI 3360 MPA utilising the Bombardier G5000 or G6000 aircraft would be more pragmatic.Or the sustainment of a Battalion , though what logistics i wonder would that require, do we have all the needed equipment in place, is it running costs they are referring too? or do they mean overseas deployment? No light shed on when a littoral vessel may come about either, though much of the topics is in tune with what is being said here.
And no one else has bought it and operated it. Why should we be the first and take all the inherent risk and may end up with an orphan? It actually involves modification to the airframe as well which means extra risk above and beyond the integration of systems.
The synergies and generator capability of the P-8A with our FVEY partners will I believe trump (no pun intended) other options. No single NZ Inc defence asset will be more holistically integral to the sovereignty of NZ and our alphabet soup privileges. No partnership, agreement or treaty is as fundamentally important in consolidating our security in the decades ahead. The reported capabilities around range are just reported and operational methodologies are classified and for good reason. This is more than just another MPS aircraft. Bluntly put and not understood. FYES membership places NZ at the main table in a way that no other small country could ever dream of having. The P-8, WGS and BAMS is a component of the wider privilege and responsibility we have in and with FVEYS and broadly including ASIC, TTCP, AUSCANNZUKUS and ABCA. The fiscal cost is microscopic compared to the trust cost, the influence cost, opportunity, let alone security cost. There is no bona fide alternative. There is no justification for an alternative.
I'm not saying we should be the first. I'm saying that if a policy decision is made that says we don't want ASW, then the Sea Herc would be one way to meet the remaining needs. If we do want to be in the ASW game then P-8 is the only non-developmental choice.
I think it is Nick Lee-Frampton who is one of the few MSM Defence journalists in NZ.
Considering that we are a maritime nation with a 900 - 1000 nm moat surrounding us and we are highly dependent upon our SLOC then a policy of abandonment of long range fixed wing ASW is rather stupid to say the least. I realise that one recent NZ govt already went down that path as far as it could.
Thanks. If that's the case then it should be worth following. He seems to know his topic.
I am only guessing it is NLF as he is the only NZ defence journo called Nick and usually goes to Beath and Greener for commentary to articles. Lee-Frampton has good taste in cars. Drives a Morgan I believe so he cannot be all that bad!