-
Related
While most of the initial focus on the Government's new defence policy has been on the decision to scrap the air force's Skyhawk fighter-bombers, questions are now being asked as to how effective the navy will be.
Under the new scheme, the Government has opted for just two frigates and one other multi-purpose vessel, which has yet to be purchased.
Retired rear admiral Jack Welch says it will now be difficult to maintain New Zealand's status as a blue water navy.
"The difficulty is really maintaining a frigate-sized presence overseas. It was always difficult with three - with two it becomes impossible. We essentially become a one shot navy," Welch says.
Former defence chief Sir Somerford Teagle told Linda Clark on ONE Late Edition that the move is a dangerous one that has New Zealand heading for trouble.
"What a frigate can do, a non-combatant vessel cannot necessarily do, ie, they are not versatile," Sir Somerford says.
"A non-combat ship is in fact the reverse of what the minister is suggesting it is. It is an extremely narrowly focused paramilitary vessel.
"Now I have no doubt that it can be used usefully on a number of tasks but the important thing is that it cannot do those things which any warship is capable of doing and that is standing in harm's way."
However, Defence Minister Mark Burton stressed that the changes are a positive move.
"We need a combination of assets to meet a combination of functions," he says.
"What we've announced is that alongside two modern frigates we will put in place a multi-functional, multi-purpose vessel that can meet the range of tasks around the South Pacific in particular that is required."
When the last cruiser in New Zealand service, the HMNZS Royalist, was scrapped in the 1950s, defence chiefs agreed that a four-frigate fleet was the minimum required to run a blue water navy.
However, by 1997 the Quigley defence review argued that three frigates was the bare minimum.
That has now been reduced to two Anzac frigates: Te Mana and Te Kaha with the new multi-purpose vessel set down to replace the ageing frigate Canterbury.
