New Zealand Enters Transition Phase For Military Fleet
The New Zealand government is preparing to undertake a sweeping overhaul of the country’s military aviation capabilities, and while some fleet choices have been made, other important investment decisions are still to be addressed.
Replacement programs are planned for the transport, surveillance and naval support aircraft types that handle New Zealand’s core aviation roles. This process represents the country’s most extensive military aviation upgrade since the 1960s, says Neil Hygate, program director for air domain at the Ministry of Defense (MOD).
The recent selection of Boeing P-8A Poseidons and Lockheed Martin C130-Js will mean major changes for the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) over a period of 18-24 months, Hygate said during an Oct. 4 presentation in Tauranga. He notes it will be a significant challenge to maintain full operational responsibilities during the transition to the new types, which is expected to begin around 2023.
- C-130Js, P-8As to replace fleet veterans in coming years
- Government considers maritime helicopter, patrol options
The government is also preparing to assess options for new maritime helicopters and offshore surveillance platforms, as well as UAVs for a range of applications. A new long-range jet transport is a longer-term prospect.
All of these aviation initiatives are part of the government’s 2019 Defense Capability Plan (DCP), which was released in June. It was based on previous planning efforts, but has been adjusted to align with the priorities of the coalition government led by the Labour Party that took power in 2017. Defense Minister Ron Mark says the government “significantly recalibrated” previous versions of the plan.
New Zealand intends to replace its core operational types, including P-3s (bottom left and top right), 757s (top left) and C-130Hs (bottom right). Credit: Crown Copyright/New Zealand Defense Force
While some program time lines and targets have been shifted, the overall investment has not changed. The DCP would cost NZ$20 billion ($12.6 billion) through 2030, covering land and sea forces as well as aviation. Some of this amount has already been committed, but the MOD has to submit a business case and gain approval for each program in the plan. Hygate stresses that “every one of the investments must be argued on its merits.”
One of the government’s key priorities for the defense forces is supporting Pacific Island nations. Another is improving New Zealand’s maritime domain awareness. The latter is particularly challenging given New Zealand defines its domain—and area of search and rescue responsibility—as extending from the Antarctic in the south to Kiribati on the equator, and from the Tasman Sea almost to Pitcairn Island in the east, essentially halfway to Chile. This covers about 20 million km2 (7.72 million mi.2).
A third priority is ensuring the defense forces are “future-proofed” in areas such as network connectivity, cyber warfare and cyber security, with the ability to process larger amounts of data that will be available from more advanced equipment.
The most pressing need identified in the DCP is replacing the RNZAF’s five C-130Hs in the airlift role.
While these aircraft have been upgraded multiple times, they were acquired in the mid-1960s “and will be at least 58 years old by the time we finally change them out,” says Hygate. This fleet is getting to an age where its reliability is suffering, and it is “costing a fortune to maintain,” he says.
On the same day as the release of the DCP in June, the Defense Minister announced that the C-130J-30 had been selected as the preferred option to replace its predecessor C-130Hs.
Mark says the new aircraft is a “proven performer, and . . . is tried and tested.” He says the type is used by many of New Zealand’s defense partners, with greater range, speed and payload than the older C-130s, and it can still land wherever the current fleet is deployed.
A price will be sought through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales process, and a full business case—including order numbers—will be considered by the New Zealand Cabinet. Hygate says the MOD has submitted a request for “up to five” aircraft. The DCP cites a delivery estimate of 2023, coinciding with the transition.
Reducing risk was also an important factor in this contest. The Embraer KC-390 was considered, but it is a new type and the government is not interested in taking on the risk of being an early operator, says Hygate. Another contender was the Airbus A400M, but he notes it is larger and more expensive, so fewer would have been ordered. A smaller fleet size would mean less flexibility to handle multiple tasks at once.
The RNZAF’s aircraft are required to operate in diverse environments, such as this P-3 Orion in Antarctica. Credit: Crown Copyright/New Zealand Defense Force
Another selection decision has already been made on replacing the air force’s six P-3K2 Orion maritime patrol aircraft, which have also been around since the 1960s. In July 2018, the government said it would buy four P-8As, with delivery from 2023.
The new aircraft, training systems, related infrastructure and introduction-into-service costs will total NZ$2.3 billion. As with the C-130Js, Mark stresses the P-8As will be able to work independently as well as with partners who also operate the Poseidons—such as Australia, the UK and the U.S. New Zealand will receive the most up-to-date version, and other countries are planning upgrades.
The government has decided to locate the P-8As at the RNZAF Ohakea base, rather than the Auckland base in Whenuapai where the P-3s fly from. This will require new infrastructure at Ohakea to accommodate the jets. Parking aprons will be upgraded and a new two-bay hangar will be built. Hygate says an operations center will be established to process the increased flow of data from the P-8s.
While the P-8As are a far more advanced aircraft than the P-3s, the DCP calls for the creation of a complementary capability to take on some of the civilian maritime surveillance tasks currently performed by the P-3s. This will focus on the needs of other government departments in areas such as fisheries, police, customs, and search and rescue, although it will still be operated by the military.
Using the P-8As for the wide range of civilian requirements would be akin to using “a sledgehammer to crack nuts,” says Hygate. So the government is looking at other, more cost-effective ways to fulfill these tasks. The MOD is building its recommendation based on a “system of systems” range of solutions rather than a single platform, Hygate says. This will likely include radar satellite data, medium-sized turboprop aircraft and UAVs. Requests for tender are expected in 2020, also with potential entry into service in 2023, according to the DCP.
The UAVs for this initiative would be relatively small systems with wingspans of about 3 m and capable of 10-hr. flights, says Hygate. The MOD is also looking at a similar category of UAVs for the military’s beyond-line-of-sight surveillance needs, including a ship-based system. The navy has previously trialed an Insitu ScanEagle UAV on an offshore patrol vessel. And looking beyond 2030, the MOD is also interested in larger Tier 4 UAVs.
Another of the shorter-term priorities is replacing the eight Kaman Seasprite SH-2G(I) ship-borne helicopters used by the Royal New Zealand Navy. The Seasprites were purchased as refurbished aircraft and introduced in 2016. They were intended to be an interim solution, and due to their age they will become “uneconomic to support” by around 2027, Hygate says.
New Zealand is one of only a handful of nations still operating the Seasprites, which are maintained by the air force but crewed by the navy.
The government has just started the process of considering the Seasprite replacement strategy. Hygate indicates it is unlikely that this will result in a “like-for-like replacement” of the existing fleet, due to the changing needs of the navy.
The navy is going to have more “aviation-capable vessels” in the future, necessitating a larger helicopter fleet, says Hygate. However, there will also be a range of ship classes requiring different kinds of helicopter support. Some will need combat helicopters, and others utility helicopters.
Hygate says the government will need to study what mix of helicopter types will be needed, or if a modular platform could be adjusted to meet the different requirements. “All of these options are in our early thinking, we’re not ruling anything out,” he explains.
Replacing the RNZAF’s two Boeing 757-200 cargo/passenger combis will be a longer-term requirement. As part of the review of spending priorities, the government decided to shift back plans to phase out the 757s, Hygate says. He notes they still have “a lot of life left in [them] yet.”
The DCP now calls for the 757s to be replaced around 2028, which means MOD will start the selection process in 2021. A request for tender is slated for 2024.
The 757s have proven to be “amazing aircraft [with] huge utility,” Hygate says. They are the type most requested for support missions in the region by New Zealand’s partner nations and are flown in environments as diverse as Antarctica and the Middle East. The problem is that there is not yet an ideal replacement on the market for this aircraft, says Hygate. For this reason, the MOD is watching the development of Boeing’s new midsized aircraft program and others on the drawing board.
With so much of New Zealand’s aviation capability about to be replaced, getting the selection process right is important. As Mark notes, the DCP comes at a “critical point in time,” as decisions made now are “likely to shape the Defense Force for the next 30 years or more.”
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