Mr C the link came up 404 Not found.
2011 Defence Brief Contents [Ministry of Defence NZ]
Cool thanks. It works much appreciated.
All NZ defence aqquisitions seem to take an age to come to fruition, most people hear about them whilst in and then by the time they are operational have already retired, our govt just seems to flog platforms until they are dead and then wait till the last minute to replace, classic penny pinchers.
Its like this mate, our polies don't get carted around every day in a C130 or whatever so they don't care really much. However when it comes to updating ministerial conveyances like BMWs then the money can be found real quick and the purchasing process is like greased lightning. There is an old Bristol Frightener at Omaka which just may be capable of getting over the boundary fence (I wouldn't bet on it). It's still in RNZAF colours I think. Maybe if we loaded all 120 polies in it and flew them to Canberra in it they just might get the message. 120 will fit in but there'd be no room for seating.
Most defence acquisitions take time, nothing new about that at all.
The decision to do the C-130H SLEP was controlled by the then Department of PM & Cabinet. Options were the SLEP or the C-130J buy-in with the RAFF. The then CDF Adamson and CAS Hamilton were ignored and sidelined throughout this process as they were considered politically unfriendly with Beehive power-brokers. They wanted the buy-in with the RAAF C-130J proposal. So yes the decision makers did indeed have NFI. The then government at this time was seriously considering killing off the P-3’s and the frigates following its 2001 hatchet job.
Yes I understand aqquisitions mostly take a long time however NZs generally take an extremely long time compared to other nations. The good thing about time is that it is a constant so even when you get something brand spanking new you have a rough idea of when it will need replaceing. If something for example has a life of type of 40 years then you do not wait until the 45th year to remember that they are old and then begin the arduos replacement hunt(or try life extending) which again adds years in itself to the everextending timeline.
Concur. It's the manadrins and bean counters in treasury along with the political appartchiks of the Clark Labour Government who made the decision about the SLEP. I don't think the following goverment could have pulled out of the program even if they wanted too, because the contract was awarded on 14/12/2004. IIRC was with a US contractor and there were problemswith the contractor which eventually involved the NZG taking over the contract. Uncle Helen & co would have avoided all possible ways of buying US equipment and there was no alternative to the C130 unless they went Russian which would not have gone down with the service chiefs. Plus they had a myopic view of the forces. That govt and amongrel by the name of Locke did more harm to NZDF in nine years than any other incident since 1945.
Nothing wrong with old aircraft as long it still economically viable, B52 stratofortress has been around since 1952 with production ending in1962; more modern strategic bombers have been built since, there is no stopping the BUFF. Talk is that USAF will keep flying till around 2040’s not a bad innings hey.
The original specs were for manual folding rotor capability but not electric folding. The OZ version have installed the electric iirc.
Thanks Mr C. Much appreciated. NM
Same engines and avionics as the C130J and will be offered as the lengthened 30 if requested. Lockheed claim the cost reduction is significant. Lockheed launches new lower cost version of the C-130J Super Hercules | Aviation & Air Force News at DefenceTalkIt'll be a fair bit cheaper, unless you want to fly it somewhere where there's a threat you might be shot at. I can't think of too many combat zones that have a lower air threat than Afghanistan, yet the stuff they are ripping out of the C-130J to provide the cost savings are exactly what is needed to fly in even that environment, let alone anything "stiffer".At the Singapore Airshow Lockheed have launched the C130XJ which is low cost version of the aircraft. That will appeal to our lot
Yep you , I and our Air Force know that, but our kiwi polies & bean counters will just see the cheap price tag and stop there. I received an email from the Minister of Defence yesterday in reply to one I sent a few weeks back with some questions, and he says that they will be starting the Air Transport Assessment this year in order to inform the 2015 Defence White Paper.
Hmm, sense an opportunity here, wonder if NZDF could play its cards right (with said pollies and bean counters) and for example, pick up some 8 airframes - 4x basic XJ's (for routine low/non-threat NZ/Pacific taskings) and 4x "XJ" airframes fully fitted with the counter-measures and cargo handling equipment (for these higher threat/coalition taskings)? Might suit the requirements also to support the joint amphibious task force depending on whether deployed locally or further afield.
I posted this somewhere else I lurk but it's late and I'm tired so she's a cut and paste job. This is a how I see the options that NZG have to choose from. After reading what Recce had to say I don't think (well hope anyway) that the NZG will not go down the path of the cheap C130XJ.