Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 11, 2023 9:09:50 GMT 12
Papua New Guinea defence force to receive Hamilton built planes
Jonah Franke-Bowell
05:00, Mar 11 2023
TOM LEE/STUFF
The aircraft model on the apron of Pacific Aerospace’s Hamilton factory.
A deal between Australia and Papua New Guinea will see two Hamilton built PAC-750XL aircraft provided to Port Moresby.
The deal inked at the Australian International Airshow earlier this month will see the delivery of two aircraft in April and September this year to the Air Operations Element of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF).
The rare export of military equipment from New Zealand will provide the PNGDF with additional transport and operational capacity to respond to domestic and regional incidents, and will have the ability to be quickly reconfigured for different activities.
The addition of the new examples funded by the Australian Government, will bring the number of the New Zealand built aircraft in the PNGDF’s fleet to three.
The deal builds upon previous defence cooperation agreements between the two countries’ air forces.
General Angus Campbell heralded the deal as another step in the ongoing support Australia provides the country.
“This is another significant chapter in our aviation cooperation, following Australia’s support to the PNGDF to help re-establish the airworthiness of its first PAC-750XL aircraft in 2021,” Campbell said.
The PAC-750Xl, in production since the early 2000s is renowned for its short takeoff and landing performance on unprepared airstrips and has become a stalwart of bush flying companies in the mountainous country.
In a highly publicised example, the model appeared at a Chinese air show sporting the livery of the North Korean state airline.
The company that produces the aircraft, Pacific Aerospace, was also found guilty of exporting spare parts for the aircraft to North Korea via a Chinese intermediary, in breach of UN sanctions.
The aircraft type is also in service with other air forces. In service with the air force of the United Arab Emirates, who is supporting a Saudi-led war in Yemen, it is outfitted in a counter insurgency configuration, according to aviation group Flight Global.
The Papua New Guinea government is also at pains to stress their even-handed relationships with both neighbouring Indonesia and Australia, all calibrated against the backdrop of the Papua Conflict occurring in the Western, Indonesia portion of the island of New Guinea.
www.stuff.co.nz/national/300825926/papua-new-guinea-defence-force-to-receive-hamilton-built-planes
Jonah Franke-Bowell
05:00, Mar 11 2023
TOM LEE/STUFF
The aircraft model on the apron of Pacific Aerospace’s Hamilton factory.
A deal between Australia and Papua New Guinea will see two Hamilton built PAC-750XL aircraft provided to Port Moresby.
The deal inked at the Australian International Airshow earlier this month will see the delivery of two aircraft in April and September this year to the Air Operations Element of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF).
The rare export of military equipment from New Zealand will provide the PNGDF with additional transport and operational capacity to respond to domestic and regional incidents, and will have the ability to be quickly reconfigured for different activities.
The addition of the new examples funded by the Australian Government, will bring the number of the New Zealand built aircraft in the PNGDF’s fleet to three.
The deal builds upon previous defence cooperation agreements between the two countries’ air forces.
General Angus Campbell heralded the deal as another step in the ongoing support Australia provides the country.
“This is another significant chapter in our aviation cooperation, following Australia’s support to the PNGDF to help re-establish the airworthiness of its first PAC-750XL aircraft in 2021,” Campbell said.
The PAC-750Xl, in production since the early 2000s is renowned for its short takeoff and landing performance on unprepared airstrips and has become a stalwart of bush flying companies in the mountainous country.
In a highly publicised example, the model appeared at a Chinese air show sporting the livery of the North Korean state airline.
The company that produces the aircraft, Pacific Aerospace, was also found guilty of exporting spare parts for the aircraft to North Korea via a Chinese intermediary, in breach of UN sanctions.
The aircraft type is also in service with other air forces. In service with the air force of the United Arab Emirates, who is supporting a Saudi-led war in Yemen, it is outfitted in a counter insurgency configuration, according to aviation group Flight Global.
The Papua New Guinea government is also at pains to stress their even-handed relationships with both neighbouring Indonesia and Australia, all calibrated against the backdrop of the Papua Conflict occurring in the Western, Indonesia portion of the island of New Guinea.
www.stuff.co.nz/national/300825926/papua-new-guinea-defence-force-to-receive-hamilton-built-planes
