New Air Force helicopters arrive
STACEY KIRK
NEW CHOPPERS: One of the new New Zealand Royal Airforce NH90s on a pre-delivery flight supplied by Eurocopter.
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The Air Force has taken delivery of its first NH90s – with two of the helicopters arriving from France aboard an Antonov AN124 cargo plane.
The helicopters were delivered in crates to Ohakea Air Force Base about 9.30am aboard the giant carrier – one of the biggest planes in the world.
Nine NH90s were ordered in 2006 at a cost of $771m. They will replace the air force’s Vietnam War-era Iroquois helicopters that have been in service for more than 40 years.
They will join the five lightweight Italian-made Westland-A109 Augusta helicopters that arrived in New Zealand earlier this year.
A $33.7 million hangar has been built at Ohakea Airforce Base to house the new aircraft, while a $16m simulator complex to train pilots was opened last month.
The helicopters are beginning to be delivered sooner than expected because the French airfield where they were being stored is due to close for maintenance.
They will be stored at Ohakea until additional equipment including computer systems and software for flying in New Zealand arrives.
Defence minister Wayne Mapp said the new helicopters would provide a “quantum leap” in defence force capability.
“The NH90s have over three times the power of the current Iroquois and can carry more than twice the payload further and faster.”
– Manawatu Standard
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Jim #12 5 min agoI wonder if they will be able to maintain them?
don #11 12:32pmno way, theres an Antonov in the country? when is it flying out?
Ryan #10 12:17pmVery Nice !!!! Cant wait to see them flying through Threnthum. You cant sneak around in a Iroqois 🙂
Jeffrey Huffadine #9 12:09pmNew Air Force helicopters arrive?Several years ago Air New Zealand bought a new fleet of ATRS from France to replace the ageing Hawker Siddley 748 and now our Air Force has decided to buy some new French built helicopters to replace the ageing Iroquois at which are outdated.These new NH90s seem to a fair number of us aviation enthusiasts as being the more quieter type of helicopter and don’t make as much noise as did the ageing Iroquois did when they were used for defense purposes and also for natural disasters etc.
Alberto #8 12:02pmNow we get to discover the faults for ourselves.
Will the troop loading ramp hold the weight of Kiwi soldiers?
Kevin #7 11:53amQuatum leap if you’re a frog!. Without a strike capability you hasve no Air Force. Without an Air Force you have no Defence Force! Peace keepers at best.
pete #6 11:31amAWSOME
Kiwi Red Baron #5 11:31amThanks Labour – you got something right! Even the Gnats are praising them along with the LAV3’s for the Army and the new fleet for the Navy. Now just watch some smarmy Gnat supporter have a rant about the nine wasted years – I’d give it about five minutes!
John #4 11:16amThe RNZAF is a very important wing of the defence force. Its good that they are getting new and better helicopters as they provide important search and rescue and civil defence capabilities for New Zealand.
Pete #3via mobile 11:03am
The last thing we needed as a nation while the kids are sick and hospitals are at breaking point us a billion dollars spent on this rubbish , what are we defending against exactly?
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