Not Committed To Mirage

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30981, 10 February 1966, Page 1

Not Committed To Mirage

(X.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, Feb. 9. The planned visit next week by a joint Australian - French team to persuade the Royal New Zealand Air Force to re-equip with Australian-built Mirage fighters did not carry any implication that the Mirage was the final recommendation of the R.N.Z.A.F„ let alone the choice of the Government, the Minister of Defence (Mr Eyre) said today. The visit stemmed from a

move by the representatives of the French company responsible for designing the Mirage to arrange a commercial “presentation" of the aircraft, Mr Eyre said. “Over the last year or two manufacturers of strike aircraft have been particularly active in view of the fact that it was known New Zealand would make a decision on strike aircraft replacement about next July,” he said. Mr Eyre said that when the local agent of the French company representing Mirage interests had asked for similar facilities, he was told that a Mirage team to serve any useful purpose should be mainly representative of the Australian source of supply, the Australian Government.

The delta-winged Mirage—r capable of 1400 miles an hour —shares the R.N.Z.A.F.'s replacement short list with the American Phantom and Freedom fighters. The R.N.Z.A.F. had already had the chance to evaluate the Phantom strike aircraft Two Phantoms were flown to New Zealand for the opening of Auckland international airport and during the visit R.N.Z.A.F. experts looked over the planes. TERMS OFFERED A Wellington report said earlier this week that the Australian Defence Minister (Mr Fairhall) had offered generous extended terms to New Zealand when he met the Minister of Defence (Mr Eyre) in Canberra last week. “In this case the Austra-

lian Government are the manufacturers and the R.A.A.F. the demonstrators,” he said. Mr Eyre said some discussion had taken place on the R.N.Z.A.F’s replacement with Mirage fighters when Mr Fairhall (then Minister of Supply) was in New Zealand last year. There had been informal references to the subject when the Defence Ministers of Britain, Australia and New Zealand met in Canberra last week.

“However, the only commitment at this stage is for the R.N.Z.A.F. to consider and evaluate the plane in the same way as it did with other aircraft that were offering,” said Mr Eyre.