New frigates

Press, 24 September 1988, Page 24

New frigates

Sir,—C. E. L. Field must be very worried by now about the Russians coming to get us if he was assured in the fifties that they would. I was serving in the New Zealand Army at that time and we were trained to believe that the Red Chinese were the ultimate threat to New Zealand. They certainly seem very threatening at the moment, but I suppose they are only putting on an act for our benefit and, when the time is right, they will wipe us out. We must be 0.K., though, if we spend billions on some new frigates. That will stop them and the Russians. — Yours, etc., G. McRAE. September 20, 1988.

Sir,—Recent unfounded criticism of the Anzac ship project is to be regretted. Within our alliance structure, the minimum requirements of the R.N.Z.N. would have to be five frigates, supplemented by another five patrol vessels. In spite of seemingly high capital costs, this will involve no more than a very marginal increase in total expenditure on dpfence, which is already one of the lowest in the world on a per capita basis. If protagonists of a “neutral” New Zealand ever have their way we shall need to raise it to a level comparable to Sweden or Switzerland; this means an increase of more than 250 per cent. It looks as though we are getting off very lightly indeed with the Anzac ships and it is all too evident that opponents are not concerned for the security of their country. — Yours, etc., JOHN PALLOT. September 21, 1988.