Australians fret over Orion decisions

By GREG ANSLEY

CANBERRA - Australia has expressed new concerns that New Zealand could abandon anti-submarine patrols in the Pacific, placing further pressure on Canberra's stretched forces.

Although Australia has been restrained in its official comments on Wellington's new defence policy - including the decision to axe the Skyhawk strike force - there is a widespread belief that it will be forced to carry a much greater burden for regional security.

The Australian Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Errol McCormack, has told a parliamentary committee of the fear that the New Zealand Orions would abandon anti-submarine work.

It was also not known whether Wellington's Orion decisions would affect the ability of the RNZAF to work with Australian patrol aircraft, he said.

"I do not yet know the full extent of what the Government over there is going to do."

"But if they go completely out of the anti-submarine operation - which is one of the rumours that is going around - it will mean that we will have to carry more of the load if (a real) operation came along.

"At the moment, we are just in a training capacity for anti-submarine operations, but if they went out of that, it would be a loss to the region."

Air Marshal McCormack said that although he had not yet been given any firm indications by Wellington, he believed New Zealand would continue surface surveillance work in the south-west Pacific.

The Australian concern followed New Zealand's decision to drop a planned $600 million electronic upgrade for the Orions.

This would have given the aircraft potent anti-submarine capabilities and ensured interoperability with the RAAF.

Under Wellington's new policy, the six Air Force Orions will be given a limited upgrade, largely using off-the-shelf commercialsystems.

The aircraft have recently had a $100 million structural upgrade, and the Government's review or maritime patrol surveillance found it would make little sense to replace them.

The review also said a military air patrol capability should be maintained to enforce sovereignty over New Zealand's huge economic zone, assist Pacific Islands, and work with Australia in pursuit of shared interests.