WIX Archives
Re: Can someone from NZ please explain
Posted by Dave on Fri Dec 07, 2001 11:39:35 PM
In reply top Can someone from NZ please explain posted by Paul McMillan on Fri Dec 07, 2001 06:26:53 AM
Paul
Well Graham knows a hell of a lot more about P-40s than I ever will ... so no further comment about that from me.
We won't go anywhere near the exchange of the oldest surviving P-47D , for a crashed Sopwith replica ;-0.
The state of the airforce ... pure politics ! The army certainly won that with a major aquisition of APCs. At least the Orions are getting a bit of an upgrade. I guess it could be argued that only the Recce and Transport wings have ever been used in action , and continue to be as I write.
N.Z. armed forces have a proud tradition and are up there with the best in the world ... not least the RNZAF !
I know the veterans feel they have been kicked in the guts ..and the general feeling , as Graham said , is that strike capability should be retained .
The other view is that the money required to purchse more modern aircraft and maintain them , would be better spent on the usual social issues [ health etc.]. I personally think Harriers would be far better suited to our terrain than F-16s .. but I believe they are far more expensive to maintain [ I am not a modern jet expert , so may well be wrong !].
A country with a population of 4 million just cannot support the cost.
Realistically N.Z. will not , and never has , fought a war on its's own .. she has always rallied to the call of freedom along with our ANZAC mates across the ditch ...and I am sure that while the RAAF could supply the ANZACS with fast mover support , the Kiwis would be contributing all out on the ground , sea and with the remains of the airforce...
Anyway , that's my $1.50 worth !
Back to more important things .. like can we fit smart bombs to Tim's Spit ???
Dave