RNZAF to get T-6C
Thread Starter
RNZAF to get T-6C
Interesting.
Beechcraft Signs Contracts with Royal New Zealand Air Force for 11 T-6C Trainer Aircraft and Fully Integrated Flight Training Solution
Will replace Airtrainers.
High pressure tyres, ejection seats... and hard points for things that go bang?
Not a jet - but not bad either, eh Helen???!!!
Beechcraft Signs Contracts with Royal New Zealand Air Force for 11 T-6C Trainer Aircraft and Fully Integrated Flight Training Solution
Will replace Airtrainers.
High pressure tyres, ejection seats... and hard points for things that go bang?
Not a jet - but not bad either, eh Helen???!!!
Never know it could lead to a return to fast jets.....
Or maybe the T-6 could be armed in case of.................
Though reading the wording, are they going to get rid of the ME bit of the course as it will replace the King Air? The only thing that flies bar the NH-90 and the SeaSprite are the P-3C and C-130H and 757!
Cheers
Or maybe the T-6 could be armed in case of.................
Though reading the wording, are they going to get rid of the ME bit of the course as it will replace the King Air? The only thing that flies bar the NH-90 and the SeaSprite are the P-3C and C-130H and 757!
Cheers
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Asssuming of course that any such invasion from Oz would include a number of former RNZAF pilots, two of whom are soon to be in charge of significant assets!
Former RNZAF SQN LDR Easthope "Eastie" is being promoted to WG CDR this year, also he is heading to the Canadian Staff Collage and on his return he will be a CO for one of the F-18 Sqns within 81 Wing.Wing Commander Osborne "Ozzie" is begin promoted to Group Captain and is heading to the Air Command . So perhaps the 'invasion' is going to other way!
Former RNZAF SQN LDR Easthope "Eastie" is being promoted to WG CDR this year, also he is heading to the Canadian Staff Collage and on his return he will be a CO for one of the F-18 Sqns within 81 Wing.Wing Commander Osborne "Ozzie" is begin promoted to Group Captain and is heading to the Air Command . So perhaps the 'invasion' is going to other way!
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Here they are being forced marched from the OzLingoReEducation FlyingTrainingGulag at NAS Nowra. Eastie no.1 in middle column with the big'un no.3 behind. 07 Dec 2001
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I must admit that the only reason they could possibly be getting some fast jet lead in trainers is because there are still nostalgic ex-jet jockeys in high positions of the RNZAF. What a farce, for a helo and ME force to get a tandem cockpit training a/c. Ideal for crew co-op and management.
What a waste of my money
edit: it seems the official release is not correct and these just replace the CT4s, and the King Airs will stay. That makes a lot more sense!
What a waste of my money
edit: it seems the official release is not correct and these just replace the CT4s, and the King Airs will stay. That makes a lot more sense!
Last edited by bakseetblatherer; 29th Jan 2014 at 08:59.
Not a waste of money at all in my book - train all Aussie and Kiwi military pilots up to wings in a tandem seat fast-ish aerobatic machine capable of a decent hi-lo nav, then you'll have a good pool of pilots with flexible posting and surge capability rather than a bunch of streamed, locked-in aircrew who can't do anything but their own job.
Go for it Kiwis I say, and it'll probably give the RAAF planners a bit of a kick start when it comes to finally picking the Aussie replacement training platform/s too.
Go for it Kiwis I say, and it'll probably give the RAAF planners a bit of a kick start when it comes to finally picking the Aussie replacement training platform/s too.
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To the Kiwis
What on earth will NZ do with a "Fully Integrated Flight Training Solution"? Only in rugby are the Kiwis dangerous and you appear to have good relations with the rest of the world. Historically the French have been your only recent foe, launching a pre-emptive strike in Auckland harbour.
When it comes to defence, NZ has a problem. Being a small nation means you either have very BIG friends who you can totally count, you give in (not a very Kiwi like thing to do) or you deliver your very own personal message of disapproval in the form of total devastation. I don't think you'll ever go nuclear, so that's out and I wouldn't count on my lot or the Americans helping you out (we'd find some excuse) so to be honest, I'd spend the money on Uzi's or hunting rifles and give one to every. Then, the price of invasion would be too great.
So apart from training up to shoot at a few Asian trawlers, what will you do with a "Fully Integrated Flight Training Solution" (or an airforce come to that)? Sounds like somebody wants to do some aeros at the taxpayers expense or someone has taken a bung. Because let's face it, will your politicians ever let you go "guns blazing" into another conflict?
PM
When it comes to defence, NZ has a problem. Being a small nation means you either have very BIG friends who you can totally count, you give in (not a very Kiwi like thing to do) or you deliver your very own personal message of disapproval in the form of total devastation. I don't think you'll ever go nuclear, so that's out and I wouldn't count on my lot or the Americans helping you out (we'd find some excuse) so to be honest, I'd spend the money on Uzi's or hunting rifles and give one to every. Then, the price of invasion would be too great.
So apart from training up to shoot at a few Asian trawlers, what will you do with a "Fully Integrated Flight Training Solution" (or an airforce come to that)? Sounds like somebody wants to do some aeros at the taxpayers expense or someone has taken a bung. Because let's face it, will your politicians ever let you go "guns blazing" into another conflict?
PM
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Forget about the Taiwanese fishing boats, its the Japanese whaling fleet you need to worry about. After all, they are armed with harpoons (no less)! Perhaps that is what the air force is planning for...
Thread Starter
PM - interesting points.
Much as we all love manned fast jets, it would seem hard to make a logical case for the RNZAF to have them at the moment.
Not sure what drove the choice of the T6 in particular.
As a civillian, I've often thought the RNZAF's major roles seem to be maritime patrol/interdiction, SAR and long range transport.
Hypothetically if it ever got involved in some kind of modern shooting war, perhaps it would be some kind of air-sea battle scenario; holding an adversary at bay over large stretches of ocean.
I suspect that as unmanned technology develops, and UAV's and UCAVs evolve, get cheaper and better, the RNZAF may once again get teeth.
But I suspect that 20 years from now, the jets and MPAs may all be being flown remotely from Ohakea.
Much as we all love manned fast jets, it would seem hard to make a logical case for the RNZAF to have them at the moment.
Not sure what drove the choice of the T6 in particular.
As a civillian, I've often thought the RNZAF's major roles seem to be maritime patrol/interdiction, SAR and long range transport.
Hypothetically if it ever got involved in some kind of modern shooting war, perhaps it would be some kind of air-sea battle scenario; holding an adversary at bay over large stretches of ocean.
I suspect that as unmanned technology develops, and UAV's and UCAVs evolve, get cheaper and better, the RNZAF may once again get teeth.
But I suspect that 20 years from now, the jets and MPAs may all be being flown remotely from Ohakea.
Evertonian
Aside from port visits by Nuclear Warships, is there much difference between the ADF & New Zealands defence forces? Should they be combined for mutual self defence? Park a squadron of Hornets in NZ maybe?
(Ok, hand grenade successfully thrown into room...backing out s l o w l y...)
(Ok, hand grenade successfully thrown into room...backing out s l o w l y...)
Thread Starter
Bearing in mind I'm a civillian oik with just a passing interest in these areas... I'm sure that idea has been studied.
In reality from the little I know there appears to be a fair bit of commonality already.
NZ procurement decisions have seemed to pretty much follow Australian ones same Frigates, same helicopter types (NH90, Seasprite), the knucks used to fly pretty much the same jets (Macchi, A4).
Detachment of 75 squadron used to be based in Nowra - see Spaz's earlier photos, flying attacks on RAN ships etc.
RNZAF do Antarctic support, AFAIK RAAF do not.
Formal integration would be quite another step!
In reality, if anything went down, they'd probably function as a single self defence force anyway I'd imagine.
They've deployed together to places like Timor-Leste.
Someone else who knows more might be able to shed some light.
In reality from the little I know there appears to be a fair bit of commonality already.
NZ procurement decisions have seemed to pretty much follow Australian ones same Frigates, same helicopter types (NH90, Seasprite), the knucks used to fly pretty much the same jets (Macchi, A4).
Detachment of 75 squadron used to be based in Nowra - see Spaz's earlier photos, flying attacks on RAN ships etc.
RNZAF do Antarctic support, AFAIK RAAF do not.
Formal integration would be quite another step!
In reality, if anything went down, they'd probably function as a single self defence force anyway I'd imagine.
They've deployed together to places like Timor-Leste.
Someone else who knows more might be able to shed some light.
Thread Starter
True 500N.
NZDF have set an objective to be able to function as a Joint Amphibious Task Force with other militaries in the region by 2020 (Ithink that date is right).
Interestingly, when you read the NZ Defence White Papers that go out to 2020 or so, the thing the Kiwis are really worried about is increasing instability in the South West Pacific islands - either AQ type threats or proxies for China making trouble.
From a purely NZ POV `spose there's also potentially a future need to safeguard any new offshore oil and gas discoveries in the basins surrounding Nu Zuld.
Lot of methane hydrates on the seafloor to the North East...!
NZDF have set an objective to be able to function as a Joint Amphibious Task Force with other militaries in the region by 2020 (Ithink that date is right).
Interestingly, when you read the NZ Defence White Papers that go out to 2020 or so, the thing the Kiwis are really worried about is increasing instability in the South West Pacific islands - either AQ type threats or proxies for China making trouble.
From a purely NZ POV `spose there's also potentially a future need to safeguard any new offshore oil and gas discoveries in the basins surrounding Nu Zuld.
Lot of methane hydrates on the seafloor to the North East...!
