AERIAL DEFENCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22389, 8 April 1936, Page 16

AERIAL DEFENCE

I'LANS IN AUSTRALIA

INCREASED EXPENDITURE BRITISH MACHINES ORDERED [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT] SYDNEY, April 1 The second year of a three-years' defence programme has almost been completed in Australia, and another three years' programme is being prepared, to begin in July, 1937. This may cost considerably more than the £20,000,000 which is being spent on the current programme. The Prime Minister, Mr. Lyons, said recently that this extra expenditure on defence was preventing a reduction of the heavy Federal taxation.

Large additions to the Air Force have been approved, and in the past year orders have been placed in Britain for additional fighting machines, at a cost of about £1,067,000. These will include S3 Avro-Anson twin-engine bombers, to form the nucleus of a reconnaissance squadron, which will be stationed at depots throughout Australia. The new machines will also be used to form a complete new army co-opera-tion squadron, a fleet co-operation squadron, and a squadron for co-opera-tion with coast defences. The total number of machines ordered is being kept a close secret, as it is considered that in the interests of the country the exact figures should not be disclosed;

Demands In Britain Although considerable delay has been caused by the rapid programme of expansion embarked on by the British Government, it is hoped that the first of the Australian orders will be delivered before the end of the year. Dolivery of some of the machines is already overdue, and it is feared they will not all arrive in Australia for at least 18 months.

The possibility of establishing an aircraft manufacturing industry in Australia is being investigated, but it could not be made productive in time to remedy the temporary deficiency in the aerial arm of the defence. The cost of the new aeroplanes is included in the amount of about £7,000.000 which is being spent this financial year on defence purposes.

The Avro-Ansons are intended for defence against coastal raids. They will carry a crew of three, and have a fullload range of 760 miles. They have a cruising speed of 160 miles an hour and a maximum speed of 188 miles an hour. Fitted with two machine-guns—one of. them mounted in a rotating turret — the aeroplanes can carry two 1001b bombs iu the wings and four 201b bombs in the fuselage.

Orders in Advance The Cabinet has ordered the machines in anticipation of Parliament adopting the Estimates, which will be contained in the 1936-37 Budget to be submitted next September. It was decided that because of the delay of British factories in fulfilling orders as a result of the greatly increased expansion of the Royal Air Force, Australia's requirements should be cabled immediately, so that the machines would arrive according to schedule. The establishment of reconnaissance squadrons of land aeroplanes is a departure from the recommendations in the report made in 1928 to the Commonwealth Government by Air-Marshal Sir John Salmond. Ho recommended the provision of four units, each of four flying-boats, but the Air Board considered these numbers were not sufficient to cover the area over which it would be necessary to reconnoitre for the protection of shipping. To complete Sir John Salmond's reconnaissance plan, purchase of three squadrons, in addition to the 33 aeroplanes now on order, will have to be financed in the following years.