Loss of contact with navies sparks warning

Press, 12 September 1987, Page 7

Loss of contact with navies sparks warning

By

DAVE WILSON

The loss of training contact with the navies of America and Britain must eventually lead to a loss of professionalism in the Royal New Zealand Navy, according to the Chief of Naval Staff, RearAdmiral Douglas Domett.

The breakdown of A.N.Z.UJS. meant New Zealand had lost the opportunity to exercise not only with America but also Britain, because most of the Royal Navy fleet was regarded as nuclearcapable. "We are now restrictd to exercising with Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, and while contact with those navies is valuable, it is nothing like the contact we used to have with bigger, better-equipped navies,” Admiral Domett said. “The lack of exercise opportunities is not harming the Navy at the moment but eventually it must lead to a loss of professionalism if we are not up with the state of the art naval forces.” Admiral Domett said Royal New Zealand Navy officers were still able to do training in Britain but all officer exchanges between America and New Zealand had ceased. Admiral Domett made the comments in Christchurch yesterday during his first official visit to the South Island since he took office in May. Although the A.N.Z.U.S. break would affect the Royal New Zealand Navy, the proposed AustraliaNew Zealand joint warship building programme was a confident statement

on the future of the Navy. New Zealand and Australia this week chose three European ship designers, in Britain, West Germany and the Netherlands, to submit detailed designs for 12 new vessels. Australia intends building eight of the warships while New Zealand requires four to replace its ageing Leander-class frigates. Admiral Domett said the New Zealand ships, technically described as “surface combatants,” would cost a total of about $1.2 billion. The Government will make a final decision on the programme in 18 months. But the ship programme, known as Project Anzac, would not require a greater injection of taxpayer funds, he said. “Based on 1986 dollars, if the Defence vote remains unchanged, the ship costs will be spread into early next century.” Although the project envisaged the naval fleet being built in Australia, it was possible New Zealand might require that its first vessel be built in the country of the design origin. This was because the frigate H.M.N.Z.S. Waikato was due to be phased from service by 1992-93 and H.M.N.Z.S. Southland was due to be out of service in 1996. The

two remaining frigates, Canterbury and Wellington, would remain in service until next century. “If the project goes ahead it would not be completed until about the year 2008, but we would hope to receive the first ship in 1993-94, the second in 1997, and the other two about the year 2008.”

The idea of a joint warship programme with Australia pleased him because compatibility could cut costs. “We would be able to share maintenance and spares and also the programme would give New Zealand industry the opportunity to contribute. A briefing team was in Christchurch recently to tell industries that they will be able to tender for an input on the ships.” The frigates form only part of the Navy’s reequipment programme.

Admiral Domett said the new Navy tanker was due to be completed in December and expected in New Zealand next February.

He also hoped that the Navy’s inshore patrol craft could be replaced with more modern vessels and the Government was keen to acquire a logistic support ship. Design characteristics were now being drawn up for that vessel.