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Post by ngatimozart on Jan 29, 2012 14:05:03 GMT 12
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Post by ngatimozart on Jan 29, 2012 14:36:57 GMT 12
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Post by luke6745 on Jan 29, 2012 15:28:07 GMT 12
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Post by baronbeeza on Jan 29, 2012 15:39:57 GMT 12
Yes Luke, with the $900,000 that Dave has just given you will be able to get a carrier as well.  How many guys are left in the Navy again ? |
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Post by luke6745 on Jan 29, 2012 16:22:29 GMT 12
How many guys are left in the Navy again ? According to Wikipedia - 2,166 Regular 333 Reserve 215 Civilian Staff Yes Luke, with the $900,000 that Dave has just given you will be able to get a carrier as well. ;D hahaha! But in all seriousness, New Zealand "is interested" in participating in the GCS program so no doubt it will be on the agenda. But who knows, we might end up with a Labour/Green government next term and they'll scrap the combat fleet all together. |
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Post by baronbeeza on Jan 29, 2012 16:48:07 GMT 12
I have no faith in Wikipedia... at all.
It may be close but it is hardly a source.
The threat we will be discussing with the Aussies will be their ongoing boat people problem. They are still concerned about back door entry via NZ.
In all seriousness though, where do Frigates fit into our threat response programme ?
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Post by luke6745 on Jan 29, 2012 17:17:40 GMT 12
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Post by meo4 on Jan 29, 2012 18:31:36 GMT 12
In all seriousness though, where do Frigates fit into our threat response programme ? "Our frigates will provide a defensive shield,offensive support and intelligence and surveillance abilities to the JATF." Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Tony Parr NAVY TODAY 164 Dec 2011 Basically the Joint Amphibious Task Force is a move to operationalise the large bulk of the defence force moving away from the whole old camp /hangar based forces which will be mainly run by civies. |
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Post by ngatimozart on Jan 29, 2012 18:40:48 GMT 12
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Post by baronbeeza on Jan 29, 2012 18:57:57 GMT 12
I am still thinking Pacific operations in the intermediate term. I am well out of touch with NZ Defence thinking.
I spend much time in Darwin and SE Asia and have a feel for things in that region.
It has been a while since I worked in the Islands but has any thought been put into mobilisation of the civilian fleet.
For example the contingency in the UK was all organised well in advance of the Falklands.
The Channel ferries were to be used for deploying forces into Denmark etc.. all under military control.
Do we need Naval access to the Interisland ferries in the same manner. Mass evacuations in Kiribati for example should be pre-planned with the ports being built (Jetties) and capable ships at least identified and trialed.
Many Pacific atolls have marginal runways at the best of times..... they will not be any more usable in the bad times.
We are fast approaching a point in this country where the military resources are being dwarfed by the civilian equivalents.
I am not anti-military at all but we are only a peanut in the scheme of things... Kiwis have always been good at using what we have.
Why buy new when we can literally Number 8 the stuff we already have.... And that may include visiting aircraft at Harewood.
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Post by ngatimozart on Jan 29, 2012 20:10:26 GMT 12
The Manawanui is an old ship, IIRC the oldest in the fleetand it's got past the point of number 8 wiring. It is the dive tender for the RNZN dive team and the navy is looking at cramming the hydrographic role, dive team support, minecounter measures and any other LCS roles into one hull. The SEA 1180 is at least 10 years away and pundits reckon Manawanui has only five years left if the navy is very gentle with her.
So some questions have to be asked. has the navy still got the LINZ hydrographic surveying contract? There are commercial firms in NZ that can do it now. I know the basics as it's part of what I do, but under keel hydrographic surveying is expensive equipment wise and time wise because you are look at very fine tolerances. So if the navy still has the LINZcontract then they should have a dedicated hull. If not then maybe it is something that could be an ANZAC operation.
Then there is all the other LCS like MCM etc., and again it may be that we and the RAN run a joint operation because it is something that becomes expensive, especially for a small cash strapped navy.
On the air battlefield lifter front, does this signal that the RNZAF is going to purchase the C27J to become compatible with the RAAF in that area. It would be stupid of us not too and especially if we could get the USAF aircraft, spares, tech manuals, and sims. If we were to get in now and do the buy we'd have our aircraft before the RAAF and could set up a training and maintenance deal say with Safeair at WB.
There are things that we could number 8 but a lot of others we can't. Yesy we could use the Interisland ferries in the Pacific but I don't know if the NZG would commandeer them. If you were going to takethemintoa hot zone then could be problems with insurance and civvy crew. A NH90/CH47/C27/C130/C17 evac system could run as well. Plus there is HMNZS Canterbury and HMAS Choules which is huge large. When the two RAN LHDs come on line then that increases capacity by a very large factor again. looking a bit further out is the Endeavour replacement which will be a multirole vessel. Finally the USMC will be working out of Darwin so you may be able to add into that the possibility of a MEU as well.
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Post by meo4 on Feb 1, 2012 16:06:48 GMT 12
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Post by ngatimozart on Feb 1, 2012 21:00:01 GMT 12
The RAN Seahawk is the S70B of which they had 16 (bought in 1990 - 91). They had a MLU in 2005and in 2011 the RAN bought 24 MH60Rs which is used by the USN. Originally the RAN was looking at the NFH90 and the MH60R. But delivery problems basically made the choice simple because the Romeo was already to go and it's replacing the RAN Seakings and Seahawks. We have an issue in that the SH2Gs are up for a MLU and a decision has to be made whether or not it is economically viable to do the MLU or just replace them. If the decision is to replace them then I would argue the Romeo because it's a proven and we can access the USN logistics tail etc. But the NFH90 would also have to be a contender because we already have the NH90TTH and so it's basically the same airframe. But the delivery issues are present. |
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