Royal New Zealand Air Force
- Thread starter Lucasnz
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There are very definite targets to be met via the FAMC and RFI plus a fair few implied targets, none of which could be met by a smaller aircraft being procured, the other major problem as Ngati pointed out is the one of range to our destinations of interest. While a small number of smaller types such as the C295 could be useful as a in theater transports should the money be available, they could never be functional in the roles envisaged by the FAMC.
So the FAMC has changed quite a bit since the Andover days. So that means we will still be using something of maybe A400 size to do tasking where say just a small 1/4 C130 size load is tasked.
That's it Beagle which as I said elsewhere is how the RAF operate albeit with CH47 Chooks. It's that 100nm moat that complicates matters. Very inconsiderate of it. It's the West Islanders fault :rotfl
we shall see what Airbus has put in their proposal as even the project team would say that having just A400 would be too big for many tasks around country.
which is interesting as the Kiwi pilots attached to some of our headsheds don't carry the same view...
anyway, the selection and assessment criteria go way beyond what is being discussed in here.
the FAMC is not a biblical document
That is why they bought the NH90. Yes a lot has changed since those days.
don't see the NH90 doing a Wednesday SATS run much
I've heard a few rumblings here and there about maintenance, procurement, and operational costs or whether a handful were really required. I can't say for certain if it's simply a feature of the aircraft or relative to the budgetary constraints the military's willing to put up with. It appears that the RMAF operations rarely go beyond what their fleet of C130s can give and could well remain so in future.
Do they still do SATS?
Watch the one liners Beagle, newbies aren't given much leeway with them even if they are S&S denizens.
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A bit of a beat up in the NZ Herald today about the NZDF not having resources available to check small boats on behalf of NZ Customs at short notice during the past year. Evidently much of this work normally falls to Seasprites, which were unavailable during the changeover to the newer model.
Navy can't fly or sail to half the time it is needed to help protect our border - National - NZ Herald News
Something that could come a MEPT Kingairs way perhaps, but in the scale of things a request every two weeks is not that much.
Navy can't fly or sail to half the time it is needed to help protect our border - National - NZ Herald News
Something that could come a MEPT Kingairs way perhaps, but in the scale of things a request every two weeks is not that much.
Just a short note because there seems to be some confusion on the FAMC, this stands for FUTURE AIR MOBILITY CAPABILITY, and is the base from which the RFI (request for information)and forms the basis for the replacement of the C130 and the B757 what the hell it has to do with changing since the Handover (Andover) days is a little puzzling.
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40 deg south
Well-Known Member
I'm also puzzled why the request wasn't passed to the RNZAF, who could presumably have provided a helicopter on at least some of the occasions?
Knock back the attitude. Like you and me Beagle is ex RNZAF, he also did two tours on 40 Sqn and he has been a long time lurker here. Unlike you, he actually has read both the FAMC and FASC RFIs and is familiar with the terminology.
Snap, Though your assumption that I did not read the above is a little wayward and I was puzzled by the Andover reference. Of course I have not read the confidential parts that would have the real interesting parts in them. However I apologize for the attitude, got out of bed on the wrong side, good now.
no worries mate. But I think as with quite a few, that even with the bigger lifting and carrying capacity of the NH90, there is a gap for medium tactical airlifter.
I presume who ever made the guidelines up knew what they were on about more than us.
that's always the preferred and optimistic view - however, no shortage of examples throughout history and across numerous militaries of a "wtf?" with respect to some selections....
Yes I have the same thoughts as to the requirement of an in theater lifter like the C295, but until there is extra money I cannot see that happening soon. The simple problem of the range and capacity to to our area's of interest I think needs to be addressed first. I would add that such a machine could also be a great training machine for the big guys. May be of interest to you but I once went to from Ohakea to Butterworth in Malaysia in an Andover very interesting, nil leg room but plenty of stops, overnights. and a breakdown.
Yes and I think that a rotary wing option would be better than a fixed wing option. I have been concerned about this gap as well. Unfortunately we don't have an unlimited budget and even if we did acquire such an asset, what else would we have to forego to acquire them because we still have an apparent unstated cap on personnel and we would require extra personnel to operate said extra capability. Whilst the $20 billion Capex is really good and very sorely needed, there has to be a corresponding annual increase in the operation budget as well.
I would surely hope so. I am of the opinion that now NZDF and the MOD have finally got their acquisition mojo together and the weak link is the pollies.