SUBMARINE EXERCISES

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30042, 29 January 1963, Page 11

SUBMARINE EXERCISES

Oberon Class Welcomed (N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, Jan. 28. “If Australia offered Oberon class submarines for us. to exercise with, we would consider them very good training,” said a Royal New Zealand Navy spokesman today. He had been asked to comment on criticism of the Australian Government's decision to order four British Oberon cl-ss conventionally powered submarines at a cost of £4,480.000 each for delivery between 1966 and 1968.

They will replace the three Royal Navy submarines serving with the Royal Australian Navy and based at Sydney. The spokesman said it was considered that the high cost of construction and advanced

required to build and maintain nuclear-pow-ered submarines would mean that conventionally powered submarines would be ’ the main threat to Australia and New Zealand for many years to come.

He said that the Oberon class submarines were the most advanced of the conventionally powered submarines in the world. New Zealand’s share of maintaining the Royal Navy squadron of three submarines a Sydnev since 1949 had been about £75.000 a year and a new agreement had been trade which would raise the cost to around £168.000.

The roles of the Navy and Air Force were largely antisi bmarine and to train men adequately in anti-submarine warfare it was necessary to h«ve a submarine to practise on, said the spokesman. The value New Zealand received for her contribution was the visit of a submarine twice a year for exercises with the Navy and Air Force on her way here, in New Zealand waters and on the voyage home. He said that a>- far as he knew there had been no announcement yet that Britain would withdraw her submarine squadron I sed at Sydney.

There was. he said, another three years before that need be considered and for Australia and New Zealand to negotiate an agreement under which New Zealand would have training facilities.