New Zealand Hueys reaching end of the road

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NATO open to European defense industry: French general
The door is open for European defense firms to help supply arms and equipment to NATO, a French alliance commander said on Thursday, despite a traditional reliance on US industry. General Stephane Abrial, who took over as Supreme Allied Commander Transformation in September as part of France's return to the NATO military command, told reporters that industry on both sides of the Atlantic had a role to play in improving the alliance's capabilities. With the allied command transformation headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, 300 kilometers (200 miles) south of the US capital, "it is a little bit difficult for European industry to join us on a regular basis," Abrial said. The mission of the transformation command was to prepare "the future of the alliance," the general said. "And therefore, exactly in the same way the American industry does it, the European industry should come to us, talk to us, work with us, in order for us to imagine together what this future can be. "So there is room for everybody for the industry of all 28 member nations, of course." Abrial was speaking at an "industry day" conference in Washington organized by NATO. A former fighter pilot who led the French Air Force's 5th Fighter Wing during the first Gulf war, Abrial, 55, is the first European to take over the helm of a NATO strategic command. Focused on strategy, training and restructuring the alliance, the transformation command looks at weapons capabilities but does not have direct authority over arms purchases. In assessing the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan, Abrial said the coalition faced a "mobility" challenge and needed more helicopters and other resources to move troops. Finding ways to counter the lethal threat posed by improvised explosive devices was also a top priority, as well improving "real time" communication between air and ground forces.

Bolivia to buy Chinese jets, denies arms race
Bolivian President Evo Morales denied Saturday his country was engaged in a regional arms race, insisting the purchase of six Chinese light military aircraft would serve to fight drug trafficking. "This purchase of aircraft does not threaten anyone, they're not for war," Morales said in anticipation of domestic and international criticism. "The aircraft purchase is aimed at the fight against drug trafficking and not... any arms race," he added at a ceremony commemorating the 52nd anniversary of the Bolivian Air Force. Bolivia plans to buy the Chinese K-8 Karakorum jets at a cost of 57.8 million dollars after a similar order of Czech planes was blocked by the United States amid a diplomatic spat with Washington after Morales expelled the US ambassador and US counternarcotics agents last year. Morales had last year tried to buy six L-159 ALCA two-seater light combat aircraft, made with US components, from the Czech Republic for 58 million dollars, but the leftist leader disclosed in July that Washington had vetoed the sale. (AFP Reports)

by Staff Writers
Wellington, New Zealand (UPI) Oct 9, 2009
New Zealand's aging UH-1 Iroquois helicopters have begun one of their last major military exercises before their replacement NH90s start arriving next year.

Up to six Bell "Huey" Iroquois and more than 100 air force personnel from the New Zealand air force's Number 3 Squadron based out of Tekapo Military Camp started taking part in exercise Steel Talon this week, a statement from the Ministry of Defense said.

The detachment commander for the exercise, Flight Lt. Ben Stephens, said Steel Talon is the squadron's major tactical flying exercise of the year, running up to Oct. 22 and will include some night flying.

"For aircrew this means the opportunity to train in tactical operations, using a number of aircraft and flying as low as 50 feet, while ground crews will be practicing maintenance support from a remote location.

"This training will maintain our capability to deploy overseas if requested by the government. Exercises such as Steel Talon have given us the ability to contribute to operations in East Timor, the Solomon Islands and Bougainville over the past decade."

The helicopters will be fitted with Belgian-made MAG 58 7.62 mm general purpose machine guns, door mounted and firing blanks during the exercise. There will be no live firing at any time.

A $475 million deal was signed in July 2007 by Defense Minister Phil Goff with Europe's NH Industries for nine NH90 helicopters to replace the Hueys. The first machine is to arrive next year with all NH90s delivered by 2011, according to the Ministry of Defense.

The medium-size twin-engine NH90 is the tactical transport version with a full-glass cockpit and advanced fly-by-wire controls. Initial support will be provided by the consortium NH Industries whose joint venture partners are AgustaWestland (32 percent), Eurocopter (62.5 percent) and Stork Fokker (5.5 percent).

The 10-ton NH90, which first flew in 1996, uses composite materials instead of riveted alloy plates. It also carries up to 19 rather than eight passengers as a Huey, or 12 fully equipped troops as opposed to five. It is more than a third faster, reaching 160 mph cruising speed. Maximum range is nearly 500 miles rather than 110.

The Iroquois, also known as the Bell 204/205 in its civilian version, has been used by New Zealand since 1966. The air force has periodically considered major upgrades because of concerns over airframe fatigue problems, including fin spars and rotor blades and limited performance in tropical conditions such as when deployed in East Timor between 1999 and 2002.

The Ministry of Defense has a project team based at Marignane, France, the Eurocopter manufacturing plant for the New Zealand machines. The team is managing ongoing acquisition and overseeing development and production.

The NH90 helicopter purchase is part of New Zealand's $2.45 billion Long-term Development Plan to make sure that its military can meet minimum required capability levels. The NH90s will be deployed along with BAE Systems Pinzgauer trucks and light armored vehicles in the new 9,000t multi-role vessel HMNZS Canterbury, the country's first strategic sealift shift commissioned in June 2007.

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Campaigners press for arms trade deal
London (AFP) Oct 7, 2009
Some 2.1 million people have died either directly or indirectly from armed violence over the last three years as talks on a global arms trade treaty have stalled, campaigners said Wednesday. More than 2,000 people have died from such violence every day since 2006, when governments agreed on the need to regulate the arms trade, said British charity Oxfam and 11 other non-governmental ... read more

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