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Good for them!
Have there been any issues in NZ service with the NH90?
They only get 200 hours p.a out of each airframe, when even the Huey's at 50 years old could double that at a fraction of the cost. They cost a fortune in time and money to keep serviceable. OEM support is way behind what LM or Leonardo do. A great aircraft to operate out of your home air base with all the support set up there. But the whole point that kinda was never really thought through about when designing a military helicopter is that it is going to have to be used in an austere environment and be reliable, tough and able to be kept flying when deployed in a combat environment a long way from home, which could be maritime, desert, polar, tropical. I don't think the NH90 is quite enough convincing with that regard.
But they look really good though which must count for something and now with these young ladies flying them probably look even better.
With your neighbours to the west divesting all their versions, do you think NZ will follow or continue with type, as you did with the Seasprite?
Continue with them and maybe in about 15 years or so they would have been written done enough in book value depreciation to for the goons at Treasury to say it is OK to then dispose of them.
Well done to all involved. This is a load otheer navies could only dream about.
Operation Hydros: Police, Customs and NZDF recover half a billion dollars’ worth of cocaine at sea
New Zealand authorities have dealt a significant blow to an international criminal syndicate’s operation after intercepting 3.2 tonnes of cocaine afloat in the ocean. 08 FEBRUARY, 2023
Under Operation Hydros, New Zealand Police, working in partnership with New Zealand Customs Service and the New Zealand Defence Force, were able to recover the illicit drug in the Pacific Ocean.
Eighty-one bales of the product have since made the six-day journey back to New Zealand aboard the Royal New Zealand Navy vessel HMNZS Manawanui, where they will now be destroyed.
Police Commissioner Andrew Coster says given the large size of the shipment it will have likely been destined for the Australian market.
“There is no doubt this discovery lands a major financial blow right from the South American producers through to the distributors of this product.
“This is one of the single biggest seizures of illegal drugs by authorities in this country. While this disrupts the syndicate’s operations, we remain vigilant given the lengths we know these groups will go to circumvent coming to law enforcement’s attention.”
Police, Customs and other agencies continue to work closely with international partner agencies to ensure the security of our borders, Commissioner Coster says.
“Operation Hydros was initiated in December 2022, as part of our ongoing close working relationship with international partner agencies to identify and monitor suspicious vessels’ movements.
“I am incredibly proud of what our National Organised Crime Group has achieved in working with other New Zealand agencies, including New Zealand Customs Service and the New Zealand Defence Force. The significance of this recovery and its impact cannot be underestimated.”
The operation continues already successful work New Zealand authorities are achieving in working together and continues to lessen the impacts of transnational crime worldwide, Commissioner Coster says.
“We know the distribution of any illicit drug causes a great amount of social harm as well as negative health and financial implications for communities, especially drug users and their families.”
While no arrests have been made at this stage, enquiries will continue into the shipment including liaison with our international partners.
New Zealand Customs Service Acting Comptroller Bill Perry says this successful interception is the result of excellent collaboration with Police and the New Zealand Defence Force, as well as with international partners.
“Customs is pleased to have helped prevent such a large amount of cocaine causing harm in communities here in New Zealand, Australia and elsewhere in the wider Pacific region.
“The sheer scale of this seizure is estimated to have taken more than half a billion dollars’ worth of cocaine out of circulation.
“It is a huge illustration of what lengths organised crime will go to with their global drug trafficking operations and shows that we are not exempt from major organised criminal drug smuggling efforts in this part of the world,” Bill Perry says.
New Zealand Defence Force Joint Forces commander Rear Admiral Jim Gilmour says the Defence Force was pleased to assist Government agencies on the important mission.
“We had the right people and the right capabilities to provide the support required and it was great to work alongside the New Zealand Police and the New Zealand Customs Service,” he says.
“We were very pleased with the result and are happy to be a part of this successful operation and are proud to play our part in protecting New Zealand.”
They only get 200 hours p.a out of each airframe, when even the Huey's at 50 years old could double that at a fraction of the cost. They cost a fortune in time and money to keep serviceable. OEM support is way behind what LM or Leonardo do. A great aircraft to operate out of your home air base with all the support set up there. But the whole point that kinda was never really thought through about when designing a military helicopter is that it is going to have to be used in an austere environment and be reliable, tough and able to be kept flying when deployed in a combat environment a long way from home, which could be maritime, desert, polar, tropical. I don't think the NH90 is quite enough convincing with that regard.
But they look really good though which must count for something and now with these young ladies flying them probably look even better.
200 hrs per year?! That's appalling. You'd swear they threw the "How to design, build and field a combat helicopter" Ladybird book out of the window, before starting the job.
Liking this a lot. I imagine the original is like a NZ Version of the Saw Doctors N17. NZ Army doing it for the folks of the east coast impacted by the recent weather events.
For now, everything hangs on implementation of the CoDF report.
[1/2] New Zealand's Defence Minister Andrew Little poses for a picture in Wellington, New Zealand, March 30, 2023. REUTERS/Lucy Craymer
12
WELLINGTON, March 30 (Reuters) - New Zealand's military will require big investment as it faces new challenges and greater expectations from regional allies, the country’s new defence minister, Andrew Little, said Thursday.
“I think when you look at the geostrategic situation we have in the Pacific at the moment, I think the longer-term challenge is that our partners and neighbours will say to us: ‘we expect more’,” Little told Reuters in an interview.
“The frequency of climate change events or weather events will only grow…. And then there is working with partners to project a posture that is defensive,” he said.
Little confirmed that the White House's Indo-Pacific coordinator, Kurt Campbell, this month had raised with him the possibility of New Zealand's becoming a non-nuclear partner of AUKUS.
The United States is "certainly keen to have New Zealand engaged but it’s not a decision I get to take alone,” he said. “In the next few weeks as we start to shape up some of the long-term (defence) questions for us; AUKUS will be one of them.”
New Zealand’s involvement in AUKUS would signal a further warming in relations between New Zealand and the United States. The countries are not official allies.
Little said that whatever New Zealand decided in terms of engaging with AUKUS, it was important that the defence force was equipped to work with its Australian counterparts.
New Zealand, which spends roughly 1.5% its of GDP on its military, is undertaking a defence policy review as the country grapples with regional geopolitics and climate change. Little said he expects to receive the first results of the review in the coming weeks.
Resources are so thin, Little said, that if a second significant event had occurred while the Defence Force was responding to the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle in February, it would have struggled to respond.
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Little said stopping people from leaving and attracting ex-Defence Force members back with higher pay was key. He said he did not know yet know what money this year's budget would allocate for the military.
He said that although New Zealand had made some investments already, the government needed to consider more, especially for the country's navy.
Reporting by Lucy Craymer. Editing by Gerry Doyle
There is talk of joining Pillar 2 of AUKUS (the non nuclear sub dimension) with Canada and Japan as the additional partners. Slight correct to the Reuters article is that in actuality the Defence budget is 1.3% not 1.5% and still the lowest in the Indo-Pacific amongst OECD countries.
Of course it is not just about Defence but the intelligence side of the National Security in which investment is needed, which is demonstrated in this new joint GCSB and NZDF facility.
Of course having to withdraw the last couple of P-3K's months before all P-8A's come on line in June was not ideal, but operating the P-8A is far more complex and involves the manning 24/7 of the ground based Poseidon Operations Centre, crewed by a 24 strong mission support team on the ground.
The above trials like the one in Fiji are not really about the aircraft but the testing of the P-8A's wider eco-system which is a whole new approach.
NZ military $20b shopping list: Planes, boats, soldiers, satellites and drones
Stacey Kirk11:31, Jun 11 2019
MONIQUE FORD/STUFF
Defence Minister Ron Mark earlier outlined how the Government plans to spend $20 billion over the next 10 years, equipping the defence force with brand new planes, boats and other high-tech military equipment.
The Government has signed off the $1 billion-plus purchase of five new C-130J aircraft, bypassing a tender process, but citing the need for "proven" reliability in a "critical" defence capability.
Defence Minister Ron Mark made the announcement alongside the release of New Zealand's Defence Capability Plan, which lays out more than $20 billion in planned spending - detailing timelines and expected budgets for major new pieces of military hardware.
Super Hercules among $20b Defence spending plan
The government will spend more than $1 billion on new aircraft, a decision Defence Minister Ron Mark says is driven by climate change and a responsibility to help our Pacific neighbours.
The like-for-like replacement of the ageing C-130 Hercules aircraft - with its latest reincarnation - is the most urgent priority in the plan. The airforce operates five C-130 Hercules. It took delivery of the first three Hercules in 1965, and a further two in 1969.
The Lockheed manufactured C-130 aircraft are used by the defence force, for passenger and cargo movement in support of combat, peacekeeping and humanitarian relief operations. It's used across the Pacific, Antarctica and further afield.
Those planes were expected to be in service by 2023, and the Government would enter into negotiations with the US Government to determine a price.
A BIGGER, MORE AGILE, DEFENCE FORCE
But it was only one purchase in the new Defence Capability Plan, which lays out the Government's planned spend out to 2030, against New Zealand's defence priorities in the Pacific, Antarctica, New Zealand's own territory and overseas military deployments.
The plan also signals moves to bolster the army with a total of 6000 infantry men and women, by 2035. That signalled the defence force's expectation it would be required to respond to multiple incidents at once - more likely as a result of climate change, than any other reason.
But the Government's purchasing intentions also pointed to rising tensions between competing super powers, resource competition and plays for military dominance in the region and further abroad.
New Zealand's military had to be able to meet international obligations with coalition partners, and the Government expected the defence force to operate in the South Pacific on the same level it does in New Zealand territory. It would be a key plank of supporting the Government's Pacific Reset.
New Zealand has one of the largest exclusive economic zones (EEZs) in the world - covering 11 per cent of the Earth's surface. Together with Australia, the territorial responsibilities of both countries spanned 20 per cent of the world's surface.
NZ will buy four submarine-hunting planes, at a cost of $2.3b
Defence Minister Ron Mark announces the purchase of four Boeing P-8s to replace the ageing Orion aircraft.
Mark said significant investment in Navy equipment would see the purchase of an Enhanced Sealift Vessel to complement HMNZS Canterbury.
An additional vessel scheduled to replace Canterbury would be purchased in the mid-2030s at a cost of more than $1b - maintaining a two vessel sealift fleet.
To complement recently confirmed P-8A Poseidons planes, the Government would also invest in maritime satellite surveillance in 2025, and "Long Range Unmanned Aerial Vehicles" - or military drones - after 2030.
Replacements are also planned for the Maritime Helicopter and Offshore Patrol Vessel fleets in the long-term. Plans to replace the frigates, which near the end of their life in the mid-2020s - have been pushed out to to the 2030s, having recently undergone a costly systems upgrade.
With the new equipment, and also a stronger emphasis on space and satellite capability, there would also need to be a boost to intelligence personnel and cyber security and support capabilities.
The army was set to get a range of new vehicles, including replacements for the roundly criticised LAV III combat vehicles, and the light operational Pinzgauers.
The Capability Plan also indicated a shift in priority to protect New Zealand's burgeoning space industry, and plans for a "Wide Band Global Satellite Communications" - or GPS - post-2030.
Drones General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper, the US military drone. NZ may or may not be in the market for this model post 2030.
The release of the capability plan comes just a day after the Prime Minister announced a phased drawdown of troops in Iraq; New Zealand just has 95 non-combat troops at a US military base at Taji, who are now expected to be brought home by June 30, next year.
New Zealand has had a joint-training mission in Iraq with Australia since 2015, all part of the US-led Operation Inherent Resolve.
New Zealand's presence in Afghanistan would remain for at least another 18 months, although with a new focus.
The number of NZDF personnel deployed in Afghanistan will decrease from 13 to 11, comprising six personnel deployed to the Officer Academy, two personnel within RSM Headquarters and potentially up to three focusing on Women, Peace and Security and reconciliation and reintegration.
"This plan maintains the envelope of $20 billion of investment in the Defence Force out to 2030, with $5.8 billion having already been committed since 2014," said Mark.
Boeing P-8A Poseidon
NZ buys four maritime surveillance planes with anti-submarine warfare and search and rescue capabilities.
Four Boeing P-8A Poseidons will be delivered to the New Zealand Defence Force and begin operation by 2023.
The planes are designed for: anti-submarine warfare; anti-surface warfare; armed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; interoperable, command, control and communications; stand-off targeting and strike support; search and rescue.
"However, we have significantly recalibrated the Plan to provide the capabilities necessary to meet the challenges identified in the Strategic Defence Policy Statement 2018.
"It also identifies priority investments to support the Coalition Government's foreign policy objectives relating to the Pacific Reset and the impacts of the climate crisis."
At it's heart, it was a "humanitarian plan", Mark said.
"It readies New Zealand to lead in the assistance of our neighbours, and to contribute to the security of our friends in the Pacific."
The capability plan is a key document laying out spending, strategy and direction to 2030 and slightly beyond. But it is largely in keeping with its predecessors; the 2016 Defence White Paper and last year's Defence Strategic Policy Statement.
Tuesday's announcement of a new fleet of C-130J aircraft may not be surprising, but questions have been raised over whether the purchase should go to tender.
However, the plane's reliability is well-known and the need for "inter-operability" with other partners is also a consideration. Australia has flown the C-130J since 1999 but has only extended a maintenance deal to 2024.
The aircraft are used by the defence force, for passenger and cargo movement in support of combat, peacekeeping and humanitarian relief operations.
Mark said the C-130J had necessary range and payload capability "as well as fully meeting NZDF's requirements".
While the competing Brazilian-designed KC-390 could travel further, faster and carry more, it was a new aircraft and not yet tested.
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"We need a proven performer, and this aircraft is tried and tested. We cannot take risks with what is one of our most critical military capabilities," he said.
No final contract decision has been made however, on either platform numbers, detailed costs, or funding and Budget implications. A Project Implementation Business Case for the C-130J would go to Cabinet next year.
In July last year, Cabinet signed off the purchase of four new P8 Poseidons - maritime surveillance aircraft capable of taking out submarines. They would replace the to replace surveillance aircraft P3 Orions. This year's Budget set aside $2.3b for that purchase.
Among various roles, the Poseidons would support maritime surveillance, humanitarian aid and disaster response, and resource protection around NZ and in the South Pacific.
They would also be capable of participation in global peace and security operations. A large focus of New Zealand's foreign policy and defence policy is supporting the international rules based order.
And last week, The Prime Minister commissioned a $100 million 85-metre diving support and hydrographic survey vessel, into service. Mark said it was one of the most technologically advanced ships of its kind, in the Southern Hemisphere.
Its an old article, but worth noting what a nation with a similar population, and at less risk, is willing to spend on Defence
The Kiwis are certainly more isolated; not sure that equates to less risk though. The north Atlantic today is a far more benign and stable environment than the Indo-Pacific.
Its an old article, but worth noting what a nation with a similar population, and at less risk, is willing to spend on Defence
There is now a new more pragmatic centrist Labour PM Chris Hipkins replacing Jacinda Ardern who has selected a centrist Defence Minister - things have become a lot more hawkish, albeit from a very low base, as the current government leadership are trying to counter claims that they are weak on defence after the Jacinda years. There is an election this year and though it wont be the top topic, it wont not be part of the election campaign unlike for many elections previously. Increased Defence spending is now part of the political discourse for Election 2023.
Some external factors have woken from a 30 year slumber. The disruption to supply chains and the shipping lanes NZ relies on due to Covid. The war in Ukraine. China now surpassing the USN in vessels. OZ buying Virginia Class subs finally demonstrating that our near neighbour must think it is really serious out there. The fact that Japan is signalled a lift in GDP Defence spend to 2% of GDP by 2028, basically doubling what they do know to become the 3rd largest defence spender in line with they been the 3rd largest economy, and in doing so making NZ now the lowest OECD defence spending nation in the Indo-Pacific, meaning we cant use the "oh well we spend more than the Japs" excuse.
The Kiwis are certainly more isolated; not sure that equates to less risk though. The north Atlantic today is a far more benign and stable environment than the Indo-Pacific.
Do you have the embassy of a belligerent in a nearby active conflict being used as a hub for its clandestine operations in neighbouring countries? Do its aircraft overfly NZ controlled airspace with transponders off? Do its Navy hold missile exercises in your EEZ?
For now, everything hangs on implementation of the CoDF report.
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