New Zealand to Send Warship and Airforce to Gulf of Oman

Tehran Times ^ | November 11 2002

[knighthawk]

WELLINGTON -- New Zealand said on Monday it would send a warship and an air force surveillance plane to join a multinational task force in Middle East waters, but played down any link to possible U.S.-led action against Iraq.

A frigate would be sent immediately to join the Canadian-led coalition task group patrolling the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman as part of the campaign against the Taleban and Al- Qaeda, Prime Minister Helen Clark told reporters.

Early next year a P3 Orion Maritime surveillance plane would join the operation.

There was a continuing threat of international terrorism and a need for global cooperation to counter the threat, she said.

"I understand there has been a lot of interception activity by the maritime interdiction force," Clark, a former peace activist, said after her regular weekly cabinet meeting.

A detachment of New Zealand's elite Special Air Service (SAS) is in Afghanistan as part of the U.S.-led operation against the Taleban and Al-Qaeda.

However, New Zealand opposes military action against Iraq unless it is backed by the United Nations.

"I must stress that this deployment is in no way linked to any ongoing controlled sanctions against Iraq or of any military action unauthorized which might occur against Iraq," Clark said.

The Anzac-class frigate, a guided-missile warship with a crew of 170, will be in the Middle East until June 2003.

Clark said she was satisfied sending the frigate would not release resources from another navy in the interdiction force to attack Iraq.

During the 1990s, New Zealand warships helped enforce UN sanctions against Iraq imposed after the Persian Gulf War.

[knighthawk]

ping

[Joe Boucher]

Welcome and GOD bless.

[Rokke]

The New Zealand Air Force??? I think that one P-3 is the extent of it.

[Inspectorette]

Hey, it's a start, and it's better than some of our other "allies".

[Rokke]

You're right. At least they are participating. And I have no doubt their military folks are first rate. It's just that their liberal government has reduced their Air Force to nothing. I think that by sending their P-3, they are in fact contributing 100% of their combat air force.

[tje]

A New Zealand warship? That can't be much more than a rubber raft and a slingshot...

[RogueIsland]

A New Zealand warship?

As I was scanning the articles, I first read this as "New Zealand to Send Starship and Airforce to Gulf of Oman."

For a second I thought the New Zealanders must have been very busy the last few years...

[shaggy eel]

,,, you're with us or you're against us.

[shaggy eel]

,,, Knighthawk, thanx for the ping!

[shaggy eel]

For a second I thought the New Zealanders must have been very busy the last few years...

,,, they have been, but sadly, not with defence issues.

[pabianice]

One ship, one airplane -- you mean they're sending their entire Navy and Air Force? I'm impressed...

[Willie Green]

What happened?
Somebody discover some porno pictures taken of Clark when she was a teenager?

[mgstarr]

Welcome Kiwis and thanks!

[shaggy eel]

Somebody discover some porno pictures taken of Clark when she was a teenager?

,,, if they did, our boys on Te Kaha won't be pinning them up on that ship's walls!

[shaggy eel]

,,, thanx for the kind words and posting that pic!

[shaggy eel]

FYI

Best wishes from Wellington, NZL.

[toddst]

Any idea how many Anzac-class frigates and P-3's New Zealand has? Wondering what's left to defend the homeland?

[mgstarr]

Anytime!

That's the Te Kaha training off Tonga from the Royal New Zealand Navy website. Te Kaha and Te Mana are the two newer navy frigates, Anzac class. .

[shaggy eel]

,,, we have frigates, one is called the Canterbury, which isn't far off retirement. I'm uncertain of their class; bigger than these new ANZAC class ships though. Their retirement is an economic decision - a bit more life may be left in Canterbury if push comes to shove. A decision on the ageing Orions will be made sometime next month. Their value has been proven for fisheries patrol and search and rescue missions - not a lot of wars here lately, so that's to be expected.

Our A-4Ks have been mothballed but could be rolled out at any stage as they haven't found a buyer yet. Most on FR laugh at our A-4Ks but they were welcomed by the Aussies as attack aircraft when trans-Tasman exercises were being held. They're still better than nothing, in my opinion. The A-4Ks have been upgraded and very well maintained over the years. The main problem now is that we've paid off the pilots and probably have very few who are trained to fly them in a combat situation.