New Zealand Skyhawks SOLD! (maybe?)

The decommissioned Royal New Zealand Air Force A-4 Skyhawks which have been sitting on the ground for the last 8 years are nearly sold.

The 17 jets were deemed useless by the NZ labour government at the time along with a further 17 Aermacchi MB-339 and they took the decision (stupid in my opinion) to retire the aircraft with nothing to succeed them. Most of the RNZAF's fighter pilots subsequently left New Zealand to serve in the Royal Australian Air Force and the UK Royal Air Force. Defence minister Wayne Mapp has expressed a desire for the Aermacchi fleet to return to service, but Prime Minister John Key says it is extremely unlikely that any jet training will be restored.

The US Government have blocked the sale of the Skyhawks over the last several years undoubtedly as a shrug to NZ's anti-nuclear policy but the cold (military) relations between New Zealand and the United States have thawed somewhat in recent years and now the US have finally given State Department, Congress and Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms and Tobacco approval.!

So what is the NZ taxpayer getting back for this depletion in our airspace security?
about $155 Million NZ Dollars. Thats about 38 bucks for each person in NZ.

Ok, I know that buying new planes and upkeep would be more than that but my point is, in the vast pocket of the treasury, surely they can find a few million bucks to buy even a handfull of new jet aircraft for the (tiny) RNZAF. I have a rationale, if you are interested.

New Zealand, I hope it was worth it.

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New Zealand Needs Fighter Planes !

Current Royal New Zealand Aircraft : Photos >>>

OK here is my rationale. I know this is a touchy subject among Kiwis but yes, I do think New Zealand needs to get its own Fighter Planes for the RNZAF after labour scrapped them a few years ago.

here goes,

EEZ: Exclusive Economic Zone, we need to patrol it and indeed we do, but with Orions and maybe the Hercules, but they are too slow for all the jobs they will be required for. Orions and Herc's are great for incidents where endurance is neccessary, but sometimes high speed is the top priority.

Shipping Accident / Air Accident: If there was a shipping accident, an airliner went down or perhaps a naughty Japanese whaler in our waters and we needed to get MK1 "Eyeball" on it as quick as possible to assess the situation, then the NZ Prime Minister would be quicker to call up the Australian Prime minister and ask (very very nicely) if he doesn't mind getting the RAAF to take a look, because they would get there quicker than we could by scrambling some F111's or F-18's.

Air Support: We have warships, we have a Royal New Zealand Navy, but no air support? Would any NZ leader risk sending a $200 Million Dollar warship into harms way without air cover? Probably not. So whats the point in having a Navy anyway?

Skills: I am sure that most Kiwis would agree that New Zealanders are at the cutting edge of most industries and NZ skills are regarded highly by international standards, however we do not have a single person in NZ who could call themselves a highly skilled modern fighter/fast jet aviator (unless they are a tourist), or support engineer because they have all ran away! to work for other nations.

Insurance: we all have insurance on our cars and houses and that's what a piece of military hardware is, insurance. Full stop. We may never need it, but the fact that it exists says something about our capability to defend our country or simply secure our airspace if we need to do so.

Airshows: An Airshow is not complete without the roar of a fighter jet squadron overhead. Sorry but it just isn't.

Pride: Also what can instill national pride more that seeing our skies screaming with the sound of our very own Defence force doing their stuff?

Pacific Neighbours: if we needed to help a Pacific neighbour with fast Air Support, "well um, Australia, hello can you do it for us please?"

So that's my rationale why I think NZ needs to get fighter planes back into the RNZAF. Perhaps we should ask the UK if we could grab a few Harriers when they flog them off, they would be awesome in NZ, no need for stealth but still formidable in the air and look amazing at Airshows :-P

Current Royal New Zealand Aircraft : Photos >>>

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