New Zealand to Host Singaporean F-15SG?
 

NZ could host Singapore's fighter jets at Ohakea - National - NZ Herald News

Singapore is eying Ohakea air base in Manawatu as a potential base for one of its own Air Force squadrons of F15 fighter jets. Up to 500 people would be stationed in or near the base in the region.

Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee confirmed that the Singapore Government in undertaking a feasibility study to determine what the move would entail, including housing and education needs of family. That study needed to be completed before any proposal could be put before the Singapore or New Zealand Governments. Brownlee said that Singapore's position in Southeast Asia so close to Malaysia and near Indoesia meant that air space was very tight. "New Zealand doesn't have the same congestion so the opportunity to fly more freely clearly exists at Ohakea."

The Singapore Air Force has other overseas bases, in France, the United States and in Western Australia's Pearce Air Base where a squadron is based.

Brownlee suggested the benefits to New Zealand would be strategic and economic. "It would mean there would be up to 500 people based out of Ohakea in the Manawatu region so that has a big economic effect on the local community," he told the Weekend Herald. "But the benefit of strengthening the strategic alliance with Singapore is the most important aspect." Brownlee said there was deadline by which the proposal needed to be considered by but he expected that it was approved, could take a couple of years to establish.

Singapore and New Zealand have a longstanding defence relationship. The New Zealand Army stationed a battalion in Singapore for 20 years until 1989. And both are members of the Five Power Defence Arrangement along with Britain, Australia and Malaysia.

New Zealand's combat arm of the Air Force was axed in 2001 by the Helen Clark-led Labour Government. Asked if the Singapore proposal might be a way for New Zealand to re-establish a combat arm, Brownlee said "definitely not." "It would be a Singapore operation entirely but based at Ohakea." He did not know how many aircraft would be involved but a squadron is usually between 12 and 24 aircraft......

Wow.
We can only hope.
Now - how long will it be before the inevitable greenie whingers start bleating about noise, peace etc.
And I hope they don't co-opt some local tangata whenua to try to add to any objections.
Jets above the Manawatu once more!

Hope these frontline assets can make it back to Singapore in short order should they be needed. I know some are for training, and obviously there's limited space to base them, but they need to be available in time of need.

Well they have the tanker assets to do it but it could be tough if Indonesia was the"enemy"

On the other hand they are so restricted for airspace around S'pore they have little choice

NZ to Darwin, then Darwin - home routing north of Indonesia over international waters.

What?? Oh, you mean due east to Thursday Is, then north to Davao (ish), then loop around Borneo back home?

Of course the Indonesian AF might not notice................... its a very big country

What a paradox. Scrap your own air combat arm, but host another nation's.Is this unique?

Ask Iceland........

The jets can self deploy, tankers not really needed.

Doubt they can self deploy (self recover in this case?) without a stop (Oz perhaps). That brings politics into play and next thing you know you're threading the straits of Gib because you don't have overflight rights. Fighting your way in might be tough without tanker support as well.
I'd be surprised if this hasn't been contemplated by leadership. Curious to see what would trigger their return and how early into the crisis they'd be headed back.

Obviously there would be a stop in Aussie if they self deploy. They have to fly that way anyway, the alternative route is longer and realistically more of a diplomatic hassle than the Aussie route.

You're talking about a well over 4,500nm trip so realistically there is probably going to be tech stop anyway even with a tanker if you drag them over. I guess you could put a tanker half way over Aus in a towline but by the time all that got sorted the jets probably could've got themselves home already.

Quite frankly Aus is not going to be anything but wholly supportive if Singapore ever needed to defend itself. If anything the greatest potential issue would be Green Party nutters in NZ trying to sabotage at the Kiwi end.

I'd venture to say you're correct, but politics being what they are, it's a point a potential adversary wouldn't be ignorant of.

Australia just recently had the Singaporean F-15 and F-16 (many of) operating out of Darwin for exercise "Pitch Black". Indonesia is a participant so expect the Singaporeans to overfly. We are well used to the Singaporeans, 126 Squadron with "Cougars" based at Oakey in Queensland and 130 Squadron with PC-21 at Pearce Western Australia. Our Mirages used to stop off in Indonesia for fuel transiting to Butterworth.

It's hard to see Singapore getting into a shooting war with their immediate neighbours TBH. I'm pretty sure they have a far more effetcive armed services than either Malaysia or Indonesia - but what would they do?

They have the capability to say take over Johor & Batam but the malaysians could just retire and intercept traffic further north - and Indonesia is so big it would be like invading Russia.....................

Singapore has no border with China, even China's "dotted lines" ...

I guess they might get involved in support of someone in a regional set-to or a UN action in say S Korea if the fat one goes crazy but a country dependent on trade isn't in agreat place to start a fight with anyone - scares off the investors...............

It's pretty much a purely defensive investment I think

It makes perfect sense when you realize that when it comes to the current NZ govt everything is for sale. As long as the Singaporeans front the cash they can do what they want.

We did Darwin-Ohakea but flagged in Amberley.

Everything's been for sale in NZ since 1984 my friend.
I think the country would only get an air-combat wing back when affordable UCAVs are finally a reality... and even that may be a contradiction in terms.

You mean like this? :}

Handles the recoil well! But I suspect in the real world it wouldn't get within cooee before it was blown out of the sky......