Royal New Zealand Air Force

[Novascotiaboy]

........and the government intends to spend $12 billion on infrastructure. I do not doubt the need for improvements but its all relative. The ability to chuck some extra cash from the surplus to purchase military platforms to increase the numbers of existing platforms would go along way to ensure availability when unexpected situations arise whether militarily or HADR both domestic and over seas.

What would three marinised NH 90s cost? folding rotors and all the navalized features? Add another round of three A/LUHs and three basic Powers for training. What would these additions do for availability and taskings? The logistics and training processes are in place already as are the facilities. I would estimate that $200 million would cover it.

 

[KiwiRob]

........and the government intends to spend $12 billion on infrastructure. I do not doubt the need for improvements but its all relative. The ability to chuck some extra cash from the surplus to purchase military platforms to increase the numbers of existing platforms would go along way to ensure availability when unexpected situations arise whether militarily or HADR both domestic and over seas.

What would three marinised NH 90s cost? folding rotors and all the navalized features? Add another round of three A/LUHs and three basic Powers for training. What would these additions do for availability and taskings? The logistics and training processes are in place already as are the facilities. I would estimate that $200 million would cover it.

the govt is in vote buying mode, roads buy votes, three new helicopters for the RNZAF don’t.

The govt has just committed 3 NH-90’s to Australia to help with the bush fires, this is admirable but shows the lack of numbers we have, if something happens at home how many of the remaining 5 are ready to fly??

 

[Novascotiaboy]

Thats why the long discussed option of buying more of what you have or adding a type for general government service has been a popular discussion.

So here is a situation that demands expensive assets. Use the banner of climate change as a reason to fill out the numbers. The electorate will agree with this. Have the new choppers emblazoned with "Greta Good" as that should make everyone happy.

 

[ngatimozart]

Thats why the long discussed option of buying more of what you have or adding a type for general government service has been a popular discussion.

So here is a situation that demands expensive assets. Use the banner of climate change as a reason to fill out the numbers. The electorate will agree with this. Have the new choppers emblazoned with "Greta Good" as that should make everyone happy.

Do you suggest that we emblazon that slogan on the barrels of the 50 cals?

 

[htbrst]

Photos and video of the first NH-90 headed Australia's way for bushfire support being loaded onto an RAAF C-17

NZ Defence Force on Twitter

 

[Novascotiaboy]

Nice effort on the part of the RNZAF. Sending one third of the NH90 fleet to assist with the fires is admirable. Question to all here is how many ADF helicopters are deployed and of what types?

 

[Redlands18]

Nice effort on the part of the RNZAF. Sending one third of the NH90 fleet to assist with the fires is admirable. Question to all here is how many ADF helicopters are deployed and of what types?

Chinooks, MRH-90s and Blackhawks have all been deployed but I haven’t seen any exact numbers other than the 3 Chinooks announced on Saturday, basically all types that would be useful and considering the length of time involved Helicopters would have to be rotated back for maintenance so numbers may be somewhat fluid. The Blackhawk fleet is based in Sydney relatively close to the Bushfires whereas the entire Chinook fleet is based in Townsville 2000kms from the worst of the Bushfires. The MRH-90s are supposed to be replacing the Blackhawk fleet in the SOF role so some may be in Sydney.
2 Singaporean Chinooks are also being deployed

 

[oldsig127]

Chinooks, MRH-90s and Blackhawks have all been deployed but I haven’t seen any exact numbers other than the 3 Chinooks announced on Saturday, basically all types that would be useful and considering the length of time involved Helicopters would have to be rotated back for maintenance so numbers may be somewhat fluid. The Blackhawk fleet is based in Sydney relatively close to the Bushfires whereas the entire Chinook fleet is based in Townsville 2000kms from the worst of the Bushfires. The MRH-90s are supposed to be replacing the Blackhawk fleet in the SOF role so some may be in Sydney.
2 Singaporean Chinooks are also being deployed

Also the Romeos and EC135 from HMAS Albatros, for weeks now. Quite a lot of coverage in the Navy paper, the official RAN web site and on Facebook. And it's been pretty personal for them with fire around the air base perimeter in places

oldsig

 

[MrConservative]

Absolutely Kiwi Rob and I am all for helping out our Aussie cousins in situations like this.

Not just the 5 to remain at home for god forbid another Volcano incident or Earthquake is a problem (disaster waiting to happen) but what if there was another Tsumani in the Pacific like Samoa in 2009 or indeed as it is now Tropical Cyclone season up there as well let alone a SASO event elsewhere in the Pacific?

 

[John Fedup]

Probably the most important lesson Canada learned from its Afghanistan experience is how essential helicopters are. Because of their important HADR capabilities, helicopters should be the easiest kit to sell defence challenged electorates in NZ and Canada.

 

[At lakes]

This big beastie was spotted at Ohakea earlier this morning. Its either a contender for the B757 replacement or its diverted from AKL

Singapore Airlines flight bound for Auckland has been forced to Ōhakea over runway closure

 

[ngatimozart]

This big beastie was spotted at Ohakea earlier this morning. Its either a contender for the B757 replacement or its diverted from AKL

Singapore Airlines flight bound for Auckland has been forced to Ōhakea over runway closure

You wish, not I. Although Mr C will probably have a coughing fit at the suggestion.

 

[RegR]

This big beastie was spotted at Ohakea earlier this morning. Its either a contender for the B757 replacement or its diverted from AKL

Singapore Airlines flight bound for Auckland has been forced to Ōhakea over runway closure

Op Alternate in action yet again, makes a difference from the usual weather related reasons.

 

[ngatimozart]

Just how good our A-4K pilots were. Just goes to show what we lost.

New Zealand A-4s Flew Crazy Formation Rolls While "Plugged-In" To A Buddy Tanker

 

[Rob c]

Just how good our A-4K pilots were. Just goes to show what we lost.

New Zealand A-4s Flew Crazy Formation Rolls While "Plugged-In" To A Buddy Tanker

I remember a group of us at Clark air force base in the Philippines ( Cope Thunder 1/83) talking to an American officer who had been a liaison officer attached to the Israeli air force and his comment was that 75 sqn was better than anything he had seen in Israel.

 

[MrConservative]

I remember a group of us at Clark air force base in the Philippines ( Cope Thunder 1/83) talking to an American officer who had been a liaison officer attached to the Israeli air force and his comment was that 75 sqn was better than anything he had seen in Israel.

IIRC 75SQD Boss WGCDR John Lanham and either SQNLDR's Frank Sharp or Herb Keightley "invented" the Plugged Barrel Roll during that era. Knucks of the old school and very experienced operators and leaders by the time of Cope Thunder 83. But you of course would remember better as you were there.

 

[Rob c]

IIRC 75SQD Boss WGCDR John Lanham and either SQNLDR's Frank Sharp or Herb Keightley "invented" the Plugged Barrel Roll during that era. Knucks of the old school and very experienced operators and leaders by the time of Cope Thunder 83. But you of course would remember better as you were there.

Yep, they were good and that pissed the yanks off somewhat as instead of near missing the targets and having the computer figure out if the target was destroyed our guy's had direct hits and an old F100 is destroyed when hit by an inert 500 pounder and a 6 wheel truck fares no better just looks like a pile of scrap. The aggressor boys did not lie us either and said at our happy hour if they saw a Hawk and were not behind and above the left it alone. Our baggies were very good to as we were the first unit in the history of cope thunder to achieve 100% of missions and with take of times within one min of planned and did it with a day to spare, so on the last day we became an aggressor sqn and took out a number of F4 Es without loss Theoretically, one mission got 6. They had a prize giving at the end and 75 won every unit prize but our boss said that we would not accept prizes for individuals as we were a team and no one disagreed.
This was well before KAHU Just basic sights and mark 1 eyeball.

 

[Nighthawk.NZ]

Probably been posted here before... RNZAF A-4K KAHU I think they used this as a sales video etc) shows during some exercise the A4 doing its thing taking on the F-16, F-5 and F18 etc...

 

[ngatimozart]

Might've have just found the plane to cart our pollies around in. Mexico Tries To Sell $130m 787 Private Presidential Jet To Justin Trudeau - Simple Flying. Far to good for the Canucks and Air NZ operate the B787-9 although the BBJ for sale is a 787-8. They've been trying to sell it for a year and still no takers The Luxurious Boeing 787-8 Mexico Can't Sell - Live and Let's Fly. It's value is now about US$130 million, so we could probably negotiate them down some since they are having trouble selling it. We'd get at least 30 years use out of it.

 

[FormerDirtDart]

Might've have just found the plane to cart our pollies around in. Mexico Tries To Sell $130m 787 Private Presidential Jet To Justin Trudeau - Simple Flying. Far to good for the Canucks and Air NZ operate the B787-9 although the BBJ for sale is a 787-8. They've been trying to sell it for a year and still no takers The Luxurious Boeing 787-8 Mexico Can't Sell - Live and Let's Fly. It's value is now about US$130 million, so we could probably negotiate them down some since they are having trouble selling it. We'd get at least 30 years use out of it.

That seems to be a decent discount. In 2019 the average cost for a new 787-8 was a smidge under $250 million
From what I can find, the plane entered service in 2010 (689 flgt hrs, 181 cycles) before beginning conversion for VIP use in 2014.
No idea how much it has been used since completing conversion, or when that was.