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Post by smithy on Jul 20, 2022 13:49:22 GMT 12
...BTW I've written it elsewhere on here but if you wanted to re-establish a fast jet capability, it's not as easy as coughing up the cash for the fancy new aircraft. You need the infrastructure but just as importantly, the support staff to maintain them. We lost all that knowledge back in 2001.
To make the RNZAF have teeth again would be an enormous financial undertaking but just as importantly, it would require an enormous undertaking in training up and establishing the support staff and knowledge to sustain a fast jet capability.
It's not impossible but it would require an immense amount of funding and also training via allies to get ourselves back up to being able to do it again.
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Post by smithy on Jul 20, 2022 13:17:47 GMT 12
Slightly off topic but we had two 35s scramble from here this morning and they are impressively and seriously loud. We had F-16s stationed here up until the changeover and they weren't a patch on the new jet rides. Even set a car alarm off down the street.
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Post by smithy on Jun 22, 2022 11:21:17 GMT 12
The Spitfire would not be ideal for New Zealand conditions due to its short range. That is where the P-40 had a massive advantage, and the Corsair even more so. The two US-built fighters were more rugged too. Dave is spot on there, the Spit was designed as a short range interceptor and with European distances in mind, not for the long distances of the Pacific. As well as that the Corsair was arguably better from an engine standpoint for operating in more tropical climes due to its radial engine which facilitated better cooling than an inline engine like the Spit or P-40.
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Post by smithy on Jun 22, 2022 8:33:35 GMT 12
Yes, back to the discussion about the P-40N vs Corsair vs Mosquito... I know the RNZAF never flew them but I reckon the ideal aircraft can’t be anything except the Supermarine Spitfire. Well you can argue that they did. Whilst under RAF administration and operational command, 485 was technically an RNZAF squadron.
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Post by smithy on Jun 21, 2022 18:55:01 GMT 12
I never said Bodø was relocating. I said it was moving due to Bodø Kommune wanting to move the proximity away from Vestbyen - check my last post. As an airbase it's not operating as before. The current figures from Regjeringen are not for 3.5 BNOK as you quoted. BTW you're not the only one with a relative in the military here or people working in these issues, my step brother-in-law is a colonel in the Air Force and I have another who works for Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk. Good for you. Du også. Perhaps we should let this thread be about the RNZAF and their "ideal fighter aircraft" rather than an argument about the state of the Norwegian military. BTW (and I seriously mean this) if you are ever up in Nordland send me a PM as I am more than happy to buy you a beer and have a chinwag with another expat.
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Post by smithy on Jun 21, 2022 9:29:26 GMT 12
I've been living in Norway since 2006. Bodø Airport isn't relocating out of the city as you're alluding to, it's moving sideways closer to the sea. Spending billions of Nok to move an airport about 500m sideways is an incredible waste of money IMO and typically Norwegian. I got my information about the defense spending increase from Regjeringen www.regjeringen.no/en/aktuelt/regjeringen-med-strakstiltak-for-a-styrke-forsvaret/id2904668/I received my information about the Norwegian govt underfunding maintenance from my brother in law who is in the Norwegian army and my neighbour who works Bergen Group. I never said Bodø was relocating. I said it was moving due to Bodø Kommune wanting to move the proximity away from Vestbyen - check my last post. As an airbase it's not operating as before. The current figures from Regjeringen are not for 3.5 BNOK as you quoted. BTW you're not the only one with a relative in the military here or people working in these issues, my step brother-in-law is a colonel in the Air Force and I have another who works for Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk.
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Post by smithy on Jun 18, 2022 13:03:50 GMT 12
The extra 3.5 BNOK in funding isn't going to make a lot of difference, most of that goes into keeping one of the two airbases that were scheduled for closure open. Well BAB hasn't been kept open as a fighter base (one of the two you mention) since the retirement of the F-16s with 331 and after March. Only 330 is using it now so you're not correct. Apart from a staging base it's tasking has completely changed. Part of this is also due to Bodø Kommune having decided to move the airport (and accompanying former airbase infrastructure away from Vestbyen). Also your figures of extra funding are incorrect based on the latest upgraded defence funding from Regjeringen over the last month. But also you're assumption that you made in your initial post about lacking "maintenance package to keep everything operational" is fairly silly. Reading stuff on the internet from the other side of the world whilst not actually living in a country is never a good basis for making out you have the best understanding of what is going on, and especially if you don't understand the language that is being used by the primary sources (like the state and local governments, and the local military bodies). Sorry if you take this the wrong way but I live in Norway. You live in NZ. You might not like me saying this, but I think I have a slightly better understanding of what is going on here than you. By the same token, I haven't lived back home in NZ since 2007 so I would never begin to presume I would have a complete grasp of what's going on back home.
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Post by smithy on Jun 17, 2022 8:30:44 GMT 12
...BTW I now live in Norway so a small country (roughly the same size as NZ), albeit a wealthy one. Having Russia on the border has obviously highly influenced Norway's defence spending, and one of the reasons why, although small, they pack state of the art military equipment including aircraft. They might buy all the nice toys but they have a problem where they don't always buy the maintenance package to keep everything operational. It will be interesting to see what the Norwegian govt do now that there is a potential threat, will they up defense spending or not? They already have since the outbreak of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, partly to cover the large amount of ordnance being sent to Ukraine and partly to ensure the mobility of current assets in Norway. "Maintenance packages" are completely covered in all services. The only areas where they are not are with equipment which is nearing its expiration date - just like what was done with the F-16s over the last 4 to 5 years due to the F-35 replacement programme.
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Post by smithy on Jun 7, 2022 8:11:36 GMT 12
...BTW I now live in Norway so a small country (roughly the same size as NZ), albeit a wealthy one. Having Russia on the border has obviously highly influenced Norway's defence spending, and one of the reasons why, although small, they pack state of the art military equipment including aircraft.
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Post by smithy on Jun 7, 2022 8:07:21 GMT 12
Haven't been here for quite awhile (as in 3 years) but thought I'd add my 2 rupees worth here...
These threads have popped up here ever since the forum started.
I was incredibly sad back in 2001 when Helen's government binned the Air Combat Wing of the RNZAF. Ever since then there's been discussions about bringing it back.
Sadly and I hate to be the harbinger of bad news but it's not going to happen. Apart from the cost, NZ doesn't have the support structure to bring back an air combat capability to the air force. You need people, support services and infrastructure to do this. Helen chucked this all out the window back in 2001. If you wanted to bring such a capability back you'd need to invest once again in the infrastructure to implement it but also to import the people to make it happen.
The worst thing with 2001's dissolution of our fast jet capability wasn't the loss of the aircraft themselves but the loss of the personnel and knowledge which maintained our combat capability.
Hypothetically we could get this back but it would be an enormous task, and one which would require more money and effort than I think a government of a small Pacific nation would be willing to pay, or undertake.
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Post by smithy on Dec 2, 2018 14:58:06 GMT 12
Sorry Dave, I didn't mean to offend although I obviously have. I'll push off and leave well alone.
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Post by smithy on Dec 2, 2018 14:31:52 GMT 12
The problem with the dog's name is that from an historic point of view it is important to the facts of the raid because it was picked as the code word for the destruction of the Möhne Dam. This word was one which those back in Britain were waiting on tender hooks to hear transmitted so it does have significance to the story of the raid.
The slippery slope for me is that when you start sanitising history for modern audiences where do you stop? Do we remove all language which to our ears now is inappropriate or offensive? Do we go further and remove references to actions and events which could be construed as offensive?
The past and it's attitudes never fit with the current generation. For the most part for most civilised people we don't think throwing Christians to the lions is any more appropriate now as using historically, racially offensive language. But I think it's wrong to try and put 21st century attitudes on depictions of historic behaviour and language. Changing depictions of the past and glossing over inconvenient facts to fit in with modern sensibilities is a very slippery slope. The past is what it is, let it be that way. Additionally, individual countries depending upon their censorship rules have the ability to dub, censor, cut and/or replace anything which they deem too much for their countries' populations.
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Post by smithy on Dec 2, 2018 10:44:50 GMT 12
He's a busy chappie at the moment. They're also turning his novel "A Pair of Silver Wings" into a flick (it's in preproduction at the mo) and he's historical advisor on that too.
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Post by smithy on Nov 26, 2018 21:43:18 GMT 12
It's often forgotten just how well known Cobber became known once his identity got out and the RAF acquiesced to a modicum of press interest. He was a household name throughout the Commonwealth and he was even hailed in the USA in the media. He was on newsreels, in the papers and magazines. It could be argued that at that time, no airman in wartime had received such a level of public interest since Ball.
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Post by smithy on Nov 26, 2018 20:28:59 GMT 12
Interesting to read the combat report, and compare it with later reports from the Battle of Britain period. Apparent that in France in March 1940 there was no complete radar coverage to control interceptions (and I don't think the type of early warning radar then in use was of much value over land anyway) so that they were forced to use the old WW1 technique of mounting standing patrols and keeping their heads swivelling, and their eyes wide open. Also note that the vic of three comprised the standard fighter section, with one leader searching, and two wing men concentrating on following their leader, and this formation was of course used right through the B of B. David D There was no proper ground control for the AASF during the Phoney War or Battle of France so the fighter component were indeed using WWI patrolling techniques of flying offensive and defensive line patrols. Apart from being able to communicate with each other, most squadrons were operating on their own radio nets so unable even to communicate with other squadrons. For most patrol jobs the procedure was much like 20 odd years earlier in WWI, there was a quick chat from flight commanders and then up they went flying their predesignated patrol lines. In terms of vics, the vast majority of RAF Fighter Command squadrons continued to use the formation until well after the Battle of Britain, undoubtedly resulting in the loss of many pilots.
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Post by smithy on Nov 25, 2018 11:29:34 GMT 12
I've listened to that before but not for a long time so thanks for the reminder Dave, it's a wonderful piece.
I'll be honest, Cobber is one of my greatest heroes and I grab everything I can about him. Don Minterne who wrote the amazing 73 Sqn history put me in touch with Cobber's sister Judy back in the mid noughties and I had the very great pleasure of corresponding with her for some time. She was like her brother a wonderful character and even after all that time was hugely proud of her big brother.
He is one of the most special of our heroes and really deserves a lot more recognition back home. I would dearly love for someone like Sir PJ to make a film about him as his meteoric career in the RAF is legendary and is a fantastic story.
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Post by smithy on Nov 18, 2018 21:36:10 GMT 12
Nordland.
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Post by smithy on Nov 18, 2018 20:11:32 GMT 12
I wouldn’t have said what I said if I hadn’t seen them for myself. I’ve been living in Norway since 2006. The graves for Norwegian soldiers aren’t looked after by the govt they are private, other people are buried on top of them and there name becomes a footnote on the new occupants headstone. It’s a shame the Commonwealth Graves weren’t consolidated into a single cemetery, most of the German ones in 3 or 4 locations. Where do you live in Norway? The reason I ask is that your experience is different from mine. I have seen very few war graves which have been in seriously poor condition, and unusually they have been in very remote areas or exposed coastal areas where the elements have been visibly responsible for the poor condition. And you're not entirely correct saying that Norwegian soldiers' war graves are the responsibility of private owners. In certain fylke and kommune, albeit the smaller ones, upkeep is handled by the local government authorities. Yes, many are the responsibility of private individuals and organisations and often in larger populated areas in the south, but your slight was a generalised one stating that, "Norwegians don't do a very good job looking after war graves" which is simply not true. Foreign war graves are very well tended.
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Post by smithy on Nov 18, 2018 7:50:28 GMT 12
The Norwegians don't do a very good job looking after war graves. What utter bullshit. As a NZer who happens to live in Norway and has visited quite a few military gravesites your comment here smacks of someone who doesn't know what they are talking about, and very likely someone who has spent very little time in Norway, if at all. Most war dead cemeteries are well looked after and especially those for foreign casualties. Foreign allied gravesites are usually well tended and it's not uncommon for them to have flowers left on them on the 8th May. It is true that gravestones age quicker in the Norwegian climate and especially due to the temperature fluctuations from very low sub-zero temperatures over winter and quite temperate temperatures over summers. But the presumption that the Norwegians "don't do a very good job looking after war graves" is utterly ignorant.
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Post by smithy on Nov 15, 2018 23:27:46 GMT 12
Thanks Saratoga and Dave, much appreciated!
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