Tonights "Airforce"

[Bruce]

Hey... we seem to be a bit slow this week to start our debrief of the Airforce programme! ;D
Certainly the Seasprite is really capable, but the thing that stood out in my mind is the attack drill on the .50 Cal guns when the Singaporean A4s came through. Please tell me the Frigates have air defences other than a couple of .50 cals! if the attacking aircraft had a decent anti shipping missile, even a Falklands war Exocet, Te Kaha would be on the bottom of the south China sea. Surface vessels perform an important role in small scale warfare, but this just screams what we have been saying for so long. without capable air cover, you may as well paint a Frigate orange with the word "Target" on the side......

[turboNZ]

Yeah I had the same thought. "Why not just use slingshots at the A-4's !!!"

Hopeless !!!!

At least the slow-flying "target drone" Learjet slowed up to give them a chance...

Didn't Te Kaha get sunk recently and the Seaprite shot down in the latest exercise here ?
mmmmmm

I must point out that I have the utmost respect for the RNZN, but not the equipment our tight government has given them.



TNZ

[Dave Homewood]

I have never been impressed with the frigates, they are a waste of space. Navy guys who've served on them have told me they are simply floating cocktail parties for officers, and have no business at war, I am glad they're getting smaller coastal craft for use in regional work, like this week's emergency where the Navy has been brought in to pick up toxic packages dumped at sea off Northland.

That pop gun on the front of Te Kaha is about as menacing as the .50 cal I thought too. Bring back Achilles' guns from the Auckland Museum!

The Seasprite is the best weapon on the ship.

What is the point of firing blanks at a plane anyway, you've no idea of whether you're on target.

We should equip the ships with better defences than this, but then we might be seen as agressive if we are defensive and no-one in the Beehive wants that. They might as well paint the ships white with red crosses on, it'll lower the chances of being sunk.

I liked Coast Watch before Air Force better actually - P3K Orion flying into a cyclone to save yachtees and survey damge in the islands. They do a great job those crews.

Did you see that? They dropped a Lindholme raft set to the yachtees. Great to see one in use for real. I've seen a wet drill one dropped as a practice. They were buggers to pack those things! You needed three strong people to close the raft pack.