Friend or foe? Our $20m missile system can't tell

By FRANCESCA MOLD

The Defence Force spent $20 million on missiles four years ago - but cannot use them because it did not also buy equipment needed to distinguish between enemy planes and friendly ones.

Act MP Rodney Hide yesterday revealed the problem with the purchase of 24 Mistral missiles in 1997 at a select committee hearing into defence force spending.

Defence chiefs admitted the missiles had never been used operationally because an "alerting and cueing" system which distinguishes friend from foe had not been bought with them.

The Chief of Defence Force, Air Marshal Carey Adamson, said the system was not bought because the force had to balance it against other demands.

He did not comment in detail, saying he would give the committee further information early next year.

The Mistral is a short-range air defence missile system, designed in France, which can be used from the ground or mounted on patrol boats, vehicles and helicopters.

It is used by armed forces in 25 countries.

The missile has a range of 6km and is armed with a 3kg explosive warhead.

Two people are needed to use it, one carrying the missile, the other a firing unit.

It can be set up and fired within 60 seconds.

Mr Hide said the missiles had an infra-red homing system which locked on to an aircraft.

But a radar and code system which identified different planes had not been bought.

"They have been sitting there for four years," Mr Hide said.

"You've got to wonder what their shelf life is.

"It seems pointless to spend $20 million on a weapons system that doesn't protect the troops."

National's defence spokesman, Max Bradford, wants the select committee to recommend that the Auditor-General investigate the purchase of the Mistrals.

nzherald.co.nz/defence