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New Zealand to Send Warship and Airforce to Gulf of Oman
Tehran Times ^ | November 11 2002

Posted on 11/11/2002 3:01:34 PM PST by knighthawk

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To: jdege
,,, as a matter of interest, isn't Denmark tied to NATO? I should imagine, if they are, they're in the gun for major defence spending, possibly disproportionate to their GDP and theoretical coastline requirements.
41 posted on 11/11/2002 6:08:00 PM PST by shaggy eel
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To: Rokke
The New Zealand Air Force??? I think that one P-3 is the extent of it.

Stupid Kiwis let their stupid nanny prime minister axe their air force. Apologies to NZ Freepers
42 posted on 11/11/2002 6:11:46 PM PST by dennisw
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To: jdege
The Washington Compost had an article the other day that stated that the U.S. spends more on pensions and health care for retired military than the whole French defense budget.

Just a little perspective.
43 posted on 11/11/2002 6:13:26 PM PST by jackbill
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To: knighthawk
Most impressive show of self-sacrifice, leaving New Zealand totally undefended. They are down to pitchforks and hoe-handles. Not to say that pitchfork wounds can't be nasty.
44 posted on 11/11/2002 6:16:10 PM PST by RightWhale
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To: shaggy eel
Shag....

It is difficult to not join the catcall brigade. I will refrain, restrain myself if you will. We know the Zoolanders do not all share the ideals of Miss Clark. The important thing is that you will be there. Tip one for old times sake, when men were men and Clark was not heard of.

45 posted on 11/11/2002 6:17:39 PM PST by cynicom
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To: RightWhale
,,, se espera el momento! South of the border, hombre.
46 posted on 11/11/2002 6:27:01 PM PST by shaggy eel
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To: cynicom
,,, good on ya Cyni. Hope all is well where you are.
47 posted on 11/11/2002 6:27:44 PM PST by shaggy eel
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To: jdege
I live in New Zealand and I agree that the %GDP spent on defence is too low. But the reality of NZ’s location suggests that maritime patrol aircraft are better suited to police NZ’s economic zone than a larger patrol fleet. (Although the patrol fleet does need to be enlarged.)

The sea traffic around NZ isn’t anywhere near the scale of the U.S. or Europe, so keeping tabs on possible unfriendlies is much easier, and not really comparable with U.S. or the Danes requirements. Because NZ is surrounded by sea the Orions provide the ability to patrol vast areas and ‘see’ further than a surface fleet ever could. The very fact an Orion has been supplied should be an indication of intent.

48 posted on 11/11/2002 6:40:58 PM PST by spitz
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To: mgstarr
Thanks for the heads up. I was a bit too sarcastic - what with all the "peace" crowd in the government over there.

Or are they gone?
49 posted on 11/11/2002 7:12:13 PM PST by F-117A
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To: shaggy eel
Greater Detroit has 600,000 more people than New Zealand's total population.

That's it, I'm moving. All that beautiful space, too. Oh, were you using the 150,000 extra voters the Mayor recently discovered? All the better...

Thanks for the eyes in the sky!

50 posted on 11/11/2002 7:12:34 PM PST by Chemist_Geek
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To: mgstarr; shaggy eel
Capacity to launch eight Boeing Harpoon anti-ship missiles is to be added.

That'll give it a little more punch, so long as they actually go through with it one of these days.

Bump for the Harpoon, brought to you by the fine folks of Boeing, and some buddies of mine at Texas Instruments ;)

51 posted on 11/11/2002 7:21:40 PM PST by general_re
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To: Chemist_Geek
,,, you're welcome.
52 posted on 11/11/2002 7:23:33 PM PST by shaggy eel
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To: general_re
,,, gotta keep those US defence contractors in the money.
53 posted on 11/11/2002 7:24:39 PM PST by shaggy eel
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To: knighthawk
Um, *what* New Zealand air force?

From the Australian Broadcasting Corporation:

New Zealanders want Air Force to be re-installed

The World Today - Monday, October 21, 2002 12:22

ELEANOR HALL: In New Zealand the Bali atrocity has led many people to question if their country is adequately prepared for a terrorist attack. There was great embarrassment amongst New Zealanders last week after Australia airlifted all New Zealand's injured from Bali and that a New Zealand Hercules, sent to assist with the medical evacuation, broke down in Darwin.

Anger and concern has poured out in letters to newspapers throughout the country, many of them calling for the Government to increase defence spending and bring back the combat wing of the Air Force, which it scrapped three years ago.

[snip]

GILLIAN BRADFORD: [New Zealand Prime Minister] Helen Clark has been in Egypt since the end of last week, commemorating the battle of El Alamein. She has maintained since events in Bali, that New Zealand is still an incredibly benign strategic environment, and that there is no threat of State to State conflict, and hence no reason for reinstating the strike wing of the Air Force.

[snip]

DAVID DICKENS: New Zealand is probably the only place in the world where terrorists could hijack a small airliner, for instance if they wanted to, kill all the passengers, load it up with extra munitions and bombs and what have you, things that explode, and fly it into a particular target. Simply because we have no airspace control at all, they could actually take as long as they liked.

GILLIAN BRADFORD: Rebuilding an Air Force would be an exceptionally difficult task, given there's no political will. Most of the Air Force's pilots have left the country, and the planes have been sold off.


54 posted on 11/11/2002 7:25:38 PM PST by Dan Day
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To: shaggy eel
Regards to Wellington. This is more help than we are getting from others closer to the Persian Gulf!
55 posted on 11/11/2002 7:26:01 PM PST by stanz
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To: stanz
,,, Hi Stanz! Can't do a whole lot but you can see what we're doing at this point.

Regards.

56 posted on 11/11/2002 7:27:41 PM PST by shaggy eel
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To: shaggy eel
My friends thank you - Harpoon put more than a few meals on the table around here. Besides, when your Navy is looking across the water at the fleet of Indonesian boat people paddling towards those fair Kiwi shores, you'll thank us ;)
57 posted on 11/11/2002 7:27:47 PM PST by general_re
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To: Dan Day
,,, the planes haven't been sold yet.

Yes, the country could be taken by telephone.

58 posted on 11/11/2002 7:29:46 PM PST by shaggy eel
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To: general_re
,,, buying ships still able to float, as scrap, will be the next big profit opportunity. The new magic carpets of the south seas.
59 posted on 11/11/2002 7:32:16 PM PST by shaggy eel
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To: knighthawk
At least New Zealand has the guts to send what ever they have, unlike the other supposed allies of the US. Namely France & Germany.
60 posted on 11/11/2002 7:34:35 PM PST by Kev-Head
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