Armée Neo-Zélandaise / New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF)

Citation :

Le nouveau patrouilleur neo-zélandais déjà en panne


Le nouveau patrouilleur de la marine néo-zéalndaise, le HMNZS Otago, a retardé son arrivée en Nouvelle-Zélande après que des problèmes de moteur l’aient affecté durant le weekend au large de l’Australie.

Le patrouilleur HMNZS Otago devait arrivé vendredi dernier à Auckland. Il est maintenant de retour au chantier Williamstown de Melbourne (Australie) où il était resté amarré depuis 2 ans à cause d’un problème financier avec ses constructeurs.
Le porte-parole de la marine, le Commander Phil Bradshaw, a expliqué que l’Otago effectuait des essais à la mer au large de Melbourne lorsqu’ils ont eu un problème d’injection de carburant sur un moteur. Ils étaient en train de réparer quand une alarme s’est déclenché sur l’autre moteur.
"Ils ont jugé plus prudent de retourner au port pour s’assurer que les moteurs étaient parfaits avant d’appareiller," a-t-il indiqué en précisant que le bâtiment était toujours sous garantie.
Le patrouilleur est rentré à Melbourne par ses propres moyens. Le premier moteur a été réparé, mais le second a besoin d’une pièce de rechange. Elle doit être acheminée depuis l’Allemagne, mais le Commander Bradshaw a indiqué qu’il était possible qu’une puisse être trouvée en Australie.
"Si c’est le cas, l’Otago pourrait appareiller pour la Nouvelle-Zélande à la fin de la semaine."

Stuff

en fait le retard n'était pas du au probléme financier, mais ces navires seraient trop lourd de 100 tonnes (font un surpoids de 6,25 %, ce qui n'est pas si extraordinaire que ça ) et incapables de naviguer en Antartique.

Citation :

New Zealand's new HMNZS Otago offshore patrol vessel boosts capability

New Zealand's ability to conduct extended patrols into the Southern Ocean and the Pacific was boosted today with the arrival of the first of two new Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs).

The Royal New Zealand Navy’s newest ship HMNZS OTAGO arrived at Devonport Naval Base today to a rousing welcome from Navy personnel.

OTAGO and her sister ship WELLINGTON will deliver substantial new capability to the Defence Force. The ships can go further offshore, stay at sea longer, and conduct more challenging operations than New Zealand's other patrol vessels. This will enable the RNZN to conduct extended patrol and surveillance operations around New Zealand, the southern ocean and into the Pacific.

The Offshore Patrol Vessels will work closely with government agencies including the Ministry of Fisheries, Police, Maritime New Zealand and the Department of Conservation around the New Zealand coast, in the Pacific and Southern Ocean. The primary tasks of the new ships include:

• Maritime counter-terrorism.
• Surveillance and Reconnaissance.
• Surface contact detection, identification, interception and boarding.
• Apprehension and escort of vessels.
• Maritime Search And Rescue (SAR).

After arriving at Devonport HMNZS OTAGO will have additional military equipment fitted and then the crew will undertake a period of training to work the ship up to full operational capability.


Background information

HMNZS OTAGO was accepted into the fleet by the Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Tony Parr on 18 February 2010, in Melbourne.

The Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) HMNZS OTAGO and WELLINGTON deliver substantial new capability to the Royal New Zealand Navy. The ships can go further offshore, stay at sea longer, and conduct more challenging operations than the Inshore Patrol Vessels, and will enable the RNZN to conduct patrol and surveillance operations around New Zealand, the southern ocean and into the Pacific.

The OPV’s are capable of many roles including maritime patrol, surveillance and response. They have the ability to conduct helicopter operations using a Seasprite SH2G helicopter, boarding operations using the ships Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats, or Military Support Operations with embarked forces.

The OPV’s have strengthened hulls which enable them to enter southern waters where ice may be encountered. They are not designed as ice-breakers or to enter Antarctic ice-packs, but have the range and capability to undertake patrols in the southern ocean where ice may be encountered.

The ships are highly automated and operate with a core crew of 35, plus 10 flight crew to operate a helicopter. The ships power and control systems are fully computerised.

defpro

Citation :

DATE:26/04/10
SOURCE:Flight International
Three killed in New Zealand UH-1H crash
By Peter Clark

The Royal New Zealand Air Force is investigating the cause of an Anzac Day helicopter crash that left three personnel dead and another seriously injured.

Three Bell UH-1H transports from Ohakea-based 3 Sqn were flying in formation to participate in dawn commemoration services in Wellington on 25 April, when one crashed in rugged terrain near Pukerua Bay, just north of the capital.

The accident happened shortly before 06:00 local time, in heavy cloud and fog.

Refusing to speculate on the possible cause of the accident, air force officials have defended the airworthiness of the service's UH-1 fleet. Flightglobal's MiliCAS database lists this as having totalled 14 aircraft delivered between 1966 and 1975 before the mishap.

New Zealand's remaining UH-1s will be replaced by eight NH Industries NH90 tactical transports. The first will arrive later this year and the total fleet will be fully operational by 2013.

The RNZAF had already suffered two serious accidents so far this year. A pilot from its Red Checkers aerobatic display team died when his Pacific Aerospace CT4/E trainer crashed in January, and the team was grounded after a non-fatal mid-air collision in March.

Citation :

Royal New Zealand Navy takes delivery of HMNZS Wellington

The Royal New Zealand Navy accepted the second of its new Offshore Patrol Vessels from shipbuilder BAE Systems Australia at a ceremony in Melbourne this morning.
HMNZS Wellington is the last of the seven-strong Protector fleet to enter service.
Defence Minister Wayne Mapp and Associate Defence Minister Heather Roy said the acceptance was a major landmark for the Navy.
Dr Mapp said that completing the Protector fleet acquisition has been a top priority for the Government.
"Getting delivery of the OPVs has been one of our critical Defence priorities in Government. The acceptance of Wellington completes the arrival of a major new capability for the Navy. Wellington and Otago can perform the full range of maritime military capability from security missions and peacekeeping to border patrol and humanitarian and disaster relief, especially in the South Pacific," he said.
"They will take over some of the longer-range work now done by the frigates Te Kaha and Te Mana. The frigates can be more focused on their tasks in the Naval Combat Force."
"The construction of these vessels is a great example of ANZAC defence industry co-operation. At the outset, Tenix (now BAE Australia) developed a programme to maximise New Zealand industry involvement in building the OPVs and several Northland engineering companies won sub-contracts for various construction aspects - including the hangar, funnel and bridge modules," Mrs Roy said.
"The OPVs are a welcome addition to our national security capabilities. They add a new dimension to the RNZN's capability to carry out the full range of tasks in our region, and will help the RNZN to achieve its goal of becoming the best small-nation navy in the world.
"I look forward to greeting HMNZS Wellington on its arrival at Devonport Naval Base early next month," Mrs Roy said.

defpro

Citation :

New Zealand Navy Opts for REMUS Underwater Vehicle
The Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) has awarded a contract to Hydroid to supply an additional REMUS 100 (remote environmental measuring unit) autonomous underwater vehicle.
Under the contract, the company will also provide a number of sensors and upgrades for the navy's existing three REMUS 100 systems in an effort to increase their operational capability.
The REMUS 100 is a compact, lightweight, autonomous underwater vehicle specifically designed to operate in coastal environments up to a depth of 100m.
The underwater vehicle performs a wide range of operations including hydrographic surveys, mine counter-measure operations, harbour security operations, search and salvage operations, and scientific sampling and mapping.
The RNZN REMUS team has been successfully conducting a wide range of military and civilian tasks including location of downed aircraft, police and customs operations, and military exercises within New Zealand and overseas.

naval-technology

les CN235MPA sont devenus un trend..

Citation :

DATE:16/06/10
SOURCE:Flight International
New Zealand seeks three new military transports
By Leithen Francis

New Zealand plans to purchase smaller turboprop aircraft for maritime surveillance and military transport applications.

"It is likely to be three aircraft to begin with," says defence minister Wayne Mapp. The requirement will be outlined in the country's defence review document, a White Paper due to be released in September, he says.

New Zealand's air force has been using Lockheed Martin C-130Hs for transport and Lockheed P-3K Orions for maritime patrol.

"In the past, the thinking was that New Zealand only required these larger aircraft, but now the thinking is that having a smaller aircraft for some missions might be more practical," says Mapp.

New Zealand used to operate smaller aircraft for such missions, but phased out its Fokker F27 maritime patrol aircraft in the late 1980s and its Hawker Siddeley Andover transports in the 1990s.

Mapp says the three aircraft it now plans to purchase must be able to perform transport and maritime surveillance work in the South Pacific. New Zealand is often called on by its poorer neighbours to help with disaster relief and humanitarian aid.

Mapp says the two aircraft types in contention are the Airbus Military CN-235 and the Bombardier Dash 8 Q300. The Alenia Aeronautica ATR 42MP has not been considered, he adds.

Air New Zealand's subsidiary Air Nelson already operates Q300s, so it could help maintain the type for the air force, in the same way that Air New Zealand once maintained the air force's F27s.

Mapp says one advantage with Bombardier turboprops is that the aircraft is "a bit faster". Australia's Coastwatch system also uses Bombardier turboprops, he adds.

However, EADS says the CN-235 has an advantage because it has a rear cargo ramp, which makes it more practical for military transport tasks.

Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130H in Afghanistan

Citation :

New Zealand Air Force Boeing 757 develops ambulance capability

The Royal New Zealand Air Force is developing an Aeromedical (AME) (air ambulance) capability to enable patients to be transferred safely around the world in its Boeing 757 aircraft. As a result the 757 has become a unique multi-role aircraft capable of being used in various roles including VIP, passenger only, freight only, combination of passengers and freight and now the AME role.

The AME platform will provide care for a wide range of situations from minor illness and injury to critical care. Due to its unique set up it has the ability to complete a bed to bed (hospital to hospital) transfer on one single stretcher.

It is designed as a roll-on roll-off palletised system and includes a High Dependency pallet for a critical care patient, work station pallet and medium dependency pallet that cares two patients.

The AME pallets were installed inside the Boeing 757 and test flown on Monday 14 June. The medical systems were tested in flight and with the exception of minor alterations to equipment and procedures it was very successful.

The Air Force Staff Officer Aeromedical Evacuation, Squadron Leader Jude Telford says, "Its been a long time in the planning and a huge milestone has been achieved to get to this stage. We had several health professionals (two doctors, one from Middlemoore Hospital Auckland and one from Bay of Plenty DHB Tauranga plus an ICU flight nurse from Care flight) aboard with us and they were very impressed with what we have achieved."

“The recent Antarctic operations to the Ross Sea ice shelf and the AME capability are examples of these roles. The AME capability is a National asset and provides choice and flexibility to the New Zealand government. It contributes greatly to New Zealand's range of defence outputs which could include, disaster relief, contribution to a military coalition; evacuation of injured NZ citizens in an area of sudden conflict (e.g. Thailand) or in response to a terrorist attack whether or not New Zealands nationals were involved", says Wing Commander Steve Hunt, AME Project Manager

It’s expected to be between 12 - 18 months before the capability is fully realised within NZDF.

Using the Air Force Boeing 757 gives New Zealand modern economic airline running costs while delivering military multi-role capabilities.


Fleet History

40 Squadron RNZAF currently operates two Boeing 757 200 aircraft. The fleet undertakes operations to many points around the globe and flies a varied mission profile. The Boeing 757 provides a very flexible and reliable air transport capability that enables the Defence Force to achieve its objectives

defpro

Citation :

New Zealand to Retire Iroquois Helicopter Fleet
The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) has begun the process of retiring its fleet of 13 Iroquois helicopters to replace them with eight new NH90 helicopters.
Iroquois helicopters can carry an underslung load of up to 1,045kg at a cruising speed of 195km/h, and travel up to a maximum range of 682km with auxiliary fuel tanks.
The RNZAF will receive the first NH90 this year, and the remainder by 2013 for a total of $771m.
The NH90 helicopter will be able to carry an underslung load of 4,000kg, 19 passengers or 12 fully equipped troops.

airforce-technology

Citation :

New Zealand Air Force Lacking Aircraft
The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) has been unable to participate in two overseas exercises this year due to lack of aircraft.
New Zealand Defence Minister Wayne Mapp said that the RNZAF could not participate in exercise Maple Leaf in Canada and Green Flag in the US due to delays in upgrades on Hercules C130 and Orion aircraft.
Mapp told the New Zealand Press Association that two of the five C130 aircraft and two out of the six Orion aircraft were undergoing upgrades and were not available for operations.
The Hercules aircraft will be back in service before the end of 2010 and the Orions by the beginning of 2011, according to Mapp

airforce-technology

Citation :

RNZAF Receives Upgraded C-130 Hercules Aircraft



The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) has received the first of five upgraded C-130 Hercules aircraft as part of the life extension programme (LEP).
The RNZAF will now begin operational testing and evaluation (OT&E) of the C-130 to enable the crew to develop and exploit the capabilities of new systems.
Under the LEP, the five C-130 Hercules will be modified with a new glass cockpit, upgraded navigational capability, an advanced communication suite, centre wing refurbishment and a new self-protection suite.
No. 40 Squadron will operate the C-130s for tactical air transport, disaster relief, civil defence support and aeromedical transport, and to provide support to the New Zealand Antarctic programme.
During the $250m project, each of the five C-130 planes will take 100,000 hours of work and 85km of wiring, according to voxy.co.nz.

airforce-technology

Citation :

New Zealand Upgrades Anzac-Class Frigate


The Royal New Zealand Navy Anzac frigate, HMNZS Te Mana, has rejoined the fleet after undergoing a multi-million dollar upgrade.
HMNZS Te Mana is one of two frigates that has undergone a seven-month refit, which has seen new diesel engines installed to improve performance and reduce fuel costs.
The new engines, costing about $57m for both ships, will not allow the ships to go faster than their top speed, making the ships more economic to operate.
The refit includes replacement of ship's auxiliary generators, installation of a new communications and control system and a modernised $25m Phalanx gun system.
The 118m-long ship has a standard displacement capacity of 3,600t, can cruise at a speed of 27kt and carries one KAMAN SH-2G Super Seasprite helicopter armed with torpedoes, depth charges and Maverick missiles.
Te Mana is expected to remain in service until at least 2025, according to The New Zealand Herald

naval-technology

Citation :

Air force may send pilots to Australia for training

Kiwi pilots will probably go to Australia for fast-jet training as the Government rushes to fill a 10-year-old hole in the air force left by the scrapped Aermacchis.
Defence Minister Wayne Mapp confirmed this week that the 17 Aermacchi jets could not be returned to service.
He said yesterday that New Zealand had missed out on tens of million of dollars, and years of pilot training, as a result.
Along with 17 mothballed Skyhawks, the decision to permanently decommission the jets meant the air force faced a future with "a clear gap" in its resources.
Pilots required to fly Hercules and Orion aircraft could only train in much smaller Beech and CT-4E Airtrainer planes.
"There is a hole and the hole could be filled in a variety of ways," Dr Mapp said. "We could do [an aircraft] lease deal, we could do a [training] deal with Australia, which obviously has some attractions, and we're looking at those options right now."
The Australian air force fleet includes F18 and F111 jets. Dr Mapp said officials were working on a plan for Kiwi pilots to have training time in the Australian jets.
The Cabinet had supported the bid, but there could also be leases taken out on new training aircraft.
"I think you are probably talking about a two-stage approach," Dr Mapp said.

www.stuff.co.nz

Citation :

Navy's frigate systems about to get an upgrade



The navy's two frigates are about to get a $58 million internal makeover to make them more efficient.
Contracts had been awarded to four companies and the work would be done in New Zealand, Australia, Canada and Germany, Defence Minister Wayne Mapp announced today.
It was the second phase of a $58m project which would improve the performance and extend the range of conditions in which the two ships, HMNZS Te Kaha and HMNZS Te Mana were effective, he said.
The contracts would upgrade management systems and the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems on the ships. The Government said the upgraded systems would provide improved control and monitoring and more automation, which would reduce the need for technical manpower.
Both ships recently had their main engines replaced.
Te Kaha was launched in Melbourne in 1995 and commissioned in Auckland in 1997. Te Mana was commissioned in 1999.
The contracts were awarded to Siemens (NZ) Ltd, Noske-Kaiser NZ Ltd, Australian Marine Technologies Pty Ltd, and ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems Australia.

nzherald

Les 2 Frégates en service chez la marine de la Nouvelle Zélande, HMAS Te Kaha ( F77 ) et HMAS Te Mana ( F111 ), de la classe Anzac australienne, elles sont les 2 seules frégates en service chez la Nouvelle Zélande, elles font 3600t de déplacement, 118 m de long contre 15m de large, 27nds de vitesse, avec un équipage de 170 marins !

Citation :

Arrival Of The Rnzaf P3k2 Orion


The Royal New Zealand Air Force will welcome back to New Zealand the first of six P-3K2 (formerly P3) Orion maritime patrol aircraft at Auckland (Whenuapai) Air Force Base on Saturday 23 April 2011. The return of the P-3K2 Orion is a significant milestone not only for the RNZAF but also Ministry of Defence and the NZ Government. The P-3K2 Orion is a quantum leap forward in technology and will improve the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capability the Defence Force can direct on military operations or in support of other Government agencies.
Media are invited to the arrival of the P-3K2 Orion as detailed below. The Chief of Air Force (CAF) Air Vice Marshal Graham Lintott will be available for media interviews. Please note, media will not be allowed access to the P-3K2 Orion. An official RNZAF welcome ceremony is being planned for Monday 2nd May 2011 at Whenuapai. Media will be invited to attend this ceremony and allowed access to the legacy P3 Orion in addition to the P-3K2 Orion.

voxy

Citation :

SOURCE:Flight International
New Zealand seeks fresh bids for stored Skyhawks
By Peter Clark

New Zealand's defence ministry has put eight of its stored Douglas A/TA-4K Skyhawk ground-attack and training aircraft up for sale, with bids sought by 16 May.

Part of a 17-strong fleet that was mothballed by the nation's Labour government after a 2001 decision, the package includes five single-seat A-4Ks and three two-seat TA-4Ks, plus up to 20 spare Pratt & Whitney J52 engines, ground support equipment and tooling.

Auckland, which has failed to sell its fleet despite conducting a worldwide marketing programme over the past decade, says the eight aircraft are available on an "as-is, where-is basis, without any warranty as to fitness for purpose or airworthiness". An earlier proposal to sell the aircraft to a potential US buyer for $155 million fell through without any money changing hands.

The New Zealand government abandoned plans to sell the Skyhawks as a going concern in December, and in early April announced that eight of them would be given to aviation museums around New Zealand and another to an air base in Australia.

More than $34 million has been spent in maintaining the fleet since its retirement. The aircraft were first stored in a hangar at Blenheim from early 2002, but have more recently been moved outside and covered in protective plastic.

The defence ministry says it would prefer to sell all the aircraft and spares to one buyer, but that it might also divide the package and sell selected parts to different buyers, pending approval from the US State Department.

Flightglobal's MiliCAS database lists almost 180 Skyhawks as still being in military use, with operators including Argentina, Brazil, Israel and Singapore.

The New Zealand government is also still hoping to sell 17 Aermacchi MB-339 jet trainers that were taken out of commission at the same time as the Skyhawks, with an announcement expected soon.

Citation :

ANZ SETS UP INSTITUTE FOR INDUSTRY RECRUITS

TRAINING Air New Zealand has established a specialist Aviation Institute to provide a range of training covering most airline industry roles, under a single organisation. Designed as a "one-stop shop" It will handle the majority of ANZ's needs as well as outsourced airline pilot, cabin crew, engineering and maintenance training.

flight international

Citation :

RNZAF unveils A109 helicopters




MURRAY WILSON/Manawatu Standard

SMELLS LIKE VICTORY: Minister of Defence Wayne Mapp with Prime Minister John Key and Air Vice-Marshal Peter Stockwell with one of the Air Force's new A190 helicopters in background




The Air Force has unveiled its new A109 helicopters and opened the new hangar where they will be housed in a ceremony at Ohakea Air Base today.
Prime Minister John Key, Defence Minister Wayne Mapp and other dignitaries were among those who attended today's ceremony.
The three new Augusta Westland A109 choppers arrived from Italy earlier this year and were reassembled at Ohakea Air Base in Manawatu.
The helicopters are the first of five that will replace the Air Force's ageing fleet of Bell 47 Sioux training helicopters, which first flew with the Air Force 46 years ago.
Air Force chief Air Vice-Marshal Peter Stockwell said the new helicopters represented the start of a significant leap in technology for the Air Force's rotary wing.
"This will see the RNZAF equipped with the capability necessary to operate even more effectively and efficiently in the twenty-first century," he said.
The A109 is a lightweight twin-engine helicopter with a modern glass cockpit and retractable wheel undercarriage.
They will be used as part of the helicopter training programme and for light utility tasks.
Today's ceremony also saw the opening of the Air Force's new Number 3 Squadron hangar at Ohakea, which will be home to the A109 helicopters and the fleet of NH90 machines which are to replace the Iroquois.
AVM Stockwell said state-of-the-art facilities were needed for the new helicopters because the existing hangars at Ohakea, built in the 1940s, could not accommodate the layout needed.
"The RNZAF is proud now to have one of the most modern hangar facilities in the southern hemisphere," he said.

www.stuff.co.nz

Citation :

SOURCE:Flight International
PICTURES: New Zealand accepts first upgraded Orion
By Peter Clark

The Royal New Zealand Air Force has accepted its first upgraded Lockheed Martin P-3K2 under a delayed project to transform the capabilities of its six-strong Orion fleet.

Handed over at Whenuapai air base on 3 May, P-3K2 prototype NZ4204 features glass cockpit avionics, an upgraded mission system, replacement communications and navigation equipment and new sensors.

The new standard will introduce a fundamental change to the capability of 5 Sqn, Air Vice Marshal Peter Stockwell, chief of air force, said.

RNZAF P-3K2, Peter Clark


NZ4204 will now undergo a period of operational testing and evaluation to prove its transition from maritime patrol aircraft to airborne surveillance and response asset.

New Zealand's P-3K2 upgrade dates back to October 2004, when L-3 Communications Integrated Systems was awarded a fixed-price contract worth NZ$373 million ($291 million), with NZ4204 having arrived at the company's Greenville site in Texas in September 2005 for modification.

The aircraft had been due for return late in 2008, but the programme encountered lengthy delays because of factors including concerns over stall performance, anomalies with its digital indicated airspeed display during take-offs and a periodic yaw problem.

Resolving these required additional flight-testing and data analysis. The prototype was also unable to fly for six months last year following the discovery of loose fasteners on its wing straps.

Despite these problems, sources said the aircraft's data management system is now proving to be stable and its new sensors are "demonstrating excellent detection performance".

Work on all six aircraft was to have been completed by September 2010 but the Department of Defence now estimates the project will be completed by mid-2013.

Production aircraft NZ4201 should be delivered from sub-contractor Safe Air's Blenheim site in New Zealand within the next few months.

Voilà un navire que j'aime bien !
Le HMNZS Canterbury ( L421 ), un navire multirôle, conçu pour les missions de transport, de projection, de soutien et aussi pour la formation. Conçu au norme civile, il a repris la même coque que le transbordeur irlandais Ben My Chree, il a été renforcé pour naviguer dans les glaces.
La coque a été construite au Pays Bas, entre 2005 et 2006, en Octobre 2006 le HMNZS Canterbury est arrivée en Australie ou il a reçu son électronique. Juin 2007 il est entré offciellement en service !
D'un déplacement de 9000T pc, 131m de longeur et 23.5m de largeur, une vitesse max de 20nds et une autonomie de 40 jours, ce navire peut embarquer 400T devéhicules ou 33 conteneurs! Il est aussi aménagé pour accueillir 250 passager, dans des postes de 12. Il peut accueillir un EM de 46 personnes.
Le HMNZS Canterbury embarque un Hôpital de 7 lits avec un bloc opératoire.

Citation :

Air Force jet trainers go on the market



The Government is putting up for tender 16 mothballed Aermacchi jet trainer aircraft.
The 20-year old aircraft have been out of service since 2001 when the Labour-led government scrapped the strike wing of the Air Force.
The Government says the aircraft have had engine problems and are no longer suitable for Air Force training.
Defence Minister Wayne Mapp says selling the Aermacchis makes way for a more modern Air Force, with 15 new helicopters in action by the end of the year and upgrades to the Hercules and Orion.
Earlier this year, the Government announced that nine of the Air Force's fleet of decommissioned Skyhawk jets would go to museums while the remainder were likely to be sold to be broken down for spare parts.
The tender for the Aermacchi jets closes in six weeks.

Copyright © 2011, Radio New Zealand

Le HMNZS Canterbury ce matin à Brisbane ( Australie )

Citation :

SOURCE:Flight International
New Zealand opens bids for surplus jet trainers

New Zealand has invited proposals to purchase 17 surplus Aermacchi MB-339CB trainer aircraft, with bids due by 22 August.

Following the disbanding of the country's Air Combat Force in 2001, Wellington tried to sell the aircraft, presumably to another country, but no sale was concluded. As such, New Zealand is opening bidding in an effort to sell the fleet either as a complete package or in portions.

New Zealand's defence ministry said the aircraft last flew one year ago, and have been maintained under an "on condition" maintenance regime at the air force's Ohakea air base on the country's north island.

The package comprises airframes, spare engines and support equipment, including a simulator. Weapons are also included provided the prospective buyer has the necessary clearances.

In April New Zealand put eight Douglas A/TA-4K Skyhawk ground-attack and training aircraft up for sale following its failure to sell them as a "going concern". According to media reports some of these aircraft have already gone to museums in New Zealand.

le Type de navire qui donne de l'efficacité aux actions de la flotte d'une marine !
Le HMNZS Endeavour ( A11 ) navire ravitailleur de la marine neo-zélandaise, de construction sud-coréenne, en service depuis plus de 20ans. Ce navire de 138m de long, affiche un déplacement de 12300T pc, son équipage est composé de 50 marins. Il sera retiré d'ici 2013, son replacement est à l'étude.

Citation :

$7 million upgrade planned for New Zealand Defence Force’s Kauri Point Facility

New igloo-type ammunition storage bunkers, upgraded security systems and a modern explosive processing facility are planned for the Defence Force’s Kauri Point facility, Defence Minister Wayne Mapp announced today.

“Kauri Point will get the overhaul it needs to make it a modern facility that best meets the expectations of the community and the requirements of the contemporary defence force,” said Dr Mapp.

“The need to redevelop Kauri Point was identified some years ago. Since we became Government we have initiated a range of measures to ensure the integrity of our ammunition storage.

“We have stopped using some of the storage facilities and we have ensured that all sites and facilities are properly certified,” said Dr Mapp.

A formal arrangement has been put in place with the Australian Defence Force for their experts to undertake regular explosives safety compliance audits.

“I visited Kauri Point in May along with fellow North Shore MP Dr Jonathan Coleman, and the Chair and Deputy Chair of the local community board. We looked at what had been done and discussed the best way forward for the future.

“After that visit I asked the Defence Force to draw up a comprehensive plan for the long term development of the site.

“That plan is now nearing completion and will be implemented over the next two years,” said Dr Mapp.

The Kauri Point development plan, which has been costed at $7 million, also includes provision to address any contamination issues found by an NZDF study currently underway in cooperation with the Auckland City Council.

The Defence Force has recently improved security with upgrades to fencing, electronic systems and buildings. Patrols have been changed and the frequency of inspection increased.

“The development plan will result in a 21st century site that will allow much of the existing infrastructure to be retired,” Dr Mapp said.

“In the meantime we have put a range of measures in place to ensure that security is maintained.

“The safety of the public, along with Defence personnel who work on site, is our highest priority,” said Dr Mapp

defpro