Now let me get this right. An Island Nation getting rid of all Air Defence capability, and getting rid of anything capable of actually hitting an invading force?
If I were the king of Tonga, or the Tasmanian Mafia, I'd be thinking hard...
Seriously, though, isn't this the sort of lunacy that one AVM, four Air Commodores and sixteen Group Captains should be resigning over - en masse, having first briefed NZ tv, radio and newspapers as to their reasons for doing so?
Those who stay and do their best to implement these plans are effectively condoning them.
Today's news release reads:
You all will have heard or read about the Prime Minister’s Defence statement delivered earlier this afternoon in the house.
There will be many in the Air Force who will be deeply disappointed with the decision to disband the Air Combat Force by the end of this calendar year. However, the decision should not have come as a surprise. Earlier last year, Mr Quigley correctly highlighted the pressures on government regarding future defence funding and he urged for an ordering of priorities.
The Prime Minister has signalled on a number of occasions that her government has not been able to lift the Air Combat Force to sufficient levels of priority to justify the funds it would have needed over the next decade or so. Individually, we all will have opinions or views on this, but these sorts of decisions are what a government is for.
Only a government can decide national priorities in the light of its wide ranging, whole-of-government budgetary pressures. Our role is to provide advice, and that has been done very comprehensively throughout the course of the defence review process over the last year. Now that a decision has been made, it is our job to implement it. That we will do.
The Prime Minister’s other announcements are welcomed, particularly the Maritime Patrol Force, as it now removes the doubts over the future of this role. These announcements bode well for an active, modern and challenged RNZAF. Sure, the RNZAF will be smaller, but it will be very focused. It will require just the same sort of commitment, integrity, professionalism and teamwork as today.
Now to the broad effects of the government’s direction.
The Air Combat Force
The A4 Skyhawk and Macchi fleets will continue their flying tasks until 1 Dec 01, although we will cease live weapon useage after 1 July 01.
We will then withdraw No.2 Squadron from Nowra and disband Nos.2, 14 and 75 Squadrons by 21 Dec 01.
We expect that the 17 A4 aircraft will be sold off on an “as is” basis and they will be put into storage awaiting sale in 2002.
The Macchi fleet of 17 are a more modern and attractive item and are expected to be sold as a “going concern”. They will need to be maintained for sale in a flying condition.
Personnel
Clearly the disbandment of the Air Combat Force will have major effects on personnel. There are 600 posts directly associated with the air attack force. Not all are filled. Some affected personnel will be able to be moved to fill other vacancies within the Air Force, but we expect to have in the order of 200 uniformed personnel and 55 civilians surplus to establishment by the end of 2001, and a further 100 uniformed personnel surplus by mid 2002. Obviously, there is much detail yet to be worked out and we will do everything possible to re-deploy staff (who may wish it) to any available position that they could fill within the other two services, let alone within the Air Force.
Strategic Plan implications
Planning already announced and in train to close Hobsonville and move No.3 Squadron (helicopters) to Ohakea will continue.
Plans to move the initial flying training units with CT4-E aircraft (i.e. PTS and CFS) to Woodbourne will now be cancelled, as the imperatives for the move have disappeared now that facilities, flying training air space, and infrastructure at Ohakea will become available.
So the focus of operations at Ohakea will become initial flying training and helicopter operations. I expect that later next year we may also move No.42 Squadron (King Air twin engine training unit) to Ohakea as well.
We will have to develop some means of supplementary capacity to retrain those former Air Combat Force pilots that we wish to move into the Fixed Wing Transport or P3 operations. No.42 Squadron will be unable to raise its training capacity with its present resources.
Summary
We might have lost one of our roles, but our mission remains the same, “to carry out military air operations in defence of New Zealand’s strategic interests, with professionalism, integrity and teamwork”.
Note those qualities, as they are dependent upon our people, not our equipment or our roles. We have always recruited good people and will continue to do so. We train them well and mould them into a motivated, well-focused professional team
We, and our predecessors, have served on, or supported, operations all around the globe and we have built a reputation as professional military air operators that is second to none.
This reputation has not been a result of our tasks or our equipment. It has been earned as a result of how we meet those tasks and how we operate equipment. It is my expectation that this reputation will be maintained and enhanced as we now move to implement the government’s directed changes quickly and effectively.
ENDS. For further information please contact Squadron Leader Ric Cullinane, Air Force Public Relations Officer, Ph 025 443 651
[This message has been edited by Jackonicko (edited 08 May 2001).]