Choice of Strikemaster

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32458, 19 November 1970, Page 16

Choice of Strikemaster

Many will connect the Government’s decision to buy a British jet trainer for the Royal New Zealand Air Force with the negotiations over Britain’s entry to the Common Market and with New Zealand’s concern to demonstrate that trade between this country and the United Kingdom is of continuing and mutual importance. In fact, a $7.5 million defence purchase from Britain is so small as to be of little or no significance to the British Government, at least in relation to the momentous issues involved in the E.E.C. bargaining. Nor should the decision be regarded as a breach of the understanding between New Zealand and Australia on co-operation in the supply of defence equipment If the Australian Minister of Defence (Mr Fraser) complains during his visit to Wellington next week that the New Zealand order for 10 B.A.C. 167 Strikemasters is contrary to the objects specified in the memorandum of understanding signed by his predecessor in August, 1969. his counterpart, Mr Thomson, will no doubt draw attention to the object of “ maximum reciprocity “ in defence procurement ”, and underline the words, “ to the extent that this proves feasible ”. The only possible cause of satisfaction in Whitehall and displeasure in Canberra is that the Strikemaster is a better aircraft for New Zealand’s purposes than the Australian-made Macchi trainer; and it will also be cheaper. Were the aircraft primarily an operational machine, destined to be used by the R.N.Z.A.F. in conjunction with the Australian armed services, considerations of cost and of its particular suitability to the R.N.Z-A.F. would have been less cogent Mr Fraser must have known at least two months ago that the R.N.Z.A.F. preferred the Strikemaster; the announcement yesterday was no surprise. As our Wellington correspondent reported hi September soon after a B.A.C. sales team visited New Zealand, the way to yesterday’s announcement was clearly indicated. At that time Mr Thomson said of the agreement; “New Zealand or Australian “ purchases will still be subject to the same critical “ evaluation of operational worth as those from other “ countries ”. This, clearly, was the basis of the Strikemastef decision. *