NZ air crews to carry weapons in the Solomons

Helicopter flight crews and ground maintenance teams will carry rifles and pistols when they arrive in the Solomons as part of an Anzac peacekeeping force.

The first of the Air Force's No 3 Squadron Iroquois helicopters is due to leave Ohakea today in a Hercules.

The Air Force said it would also take door-mounted 7.62mm machineguns for the four helicopters, although they might not be routinely fitted.

New Zealand is also sending 105 troops and 35 police to the strife-torn islands, where law and order has all but broken down.

They will join a contingent of 2000 armed Australian troops and police.

The Air Force said the flight and ground crews would carry Steyr rifles when they arrived at Henderson Field and would be permitted under the rules of engagement to shoot in self-defence, although the rules had yet to be finalised.

By the end of the month, another eight Hercules supply flights would deliver three more helicopters, spares and the rest of the flight and ground maintenance crews.

The helicopters would largely be used to ferry police and the Australians, but Wing Commander Ron Thacker said the Iroquois would carry out a range of tasks.

"There will certainly be a fair amount of civil aid and humanitarian assistance work tied in with New Zealand aid agencies, and we will also have the medevac for the forces in theatre."

He said although the climate was similar to East Timor, where the Air Force also had four Iroquois, the humidity would be much higher.

"The humidity will be a big issue for us. It will be worse than Timor and will affect both people and aircraft.

"The good news is that I don't see us doing a lot of work at altitude, as we did in Timor.

"A lot of the work will be at lower levels."

During the three years the Iroquois were based in Suai on the southern coast of East Timor, much of their work was high-altitude flying to and from the border with West Timor and high camps where the New Zealand troops were based.

The high flying significantly reduced the Iroquois' performance.

"It certainly highlighted the fact that the poor old Iroquois was struggling to do what we asked of it."

Wing Cdr Thacker said the team heading to the Solomons had all spent considerable time in East Timor, where they had a "healthy respect for the limitations of the aircraft in that sort of environment".

The contingent would be housed in tents initially and would carry enough weapons, kit, food and water to last 14 days, he said.

The helicopters would be brought back to New Zealand once a month for major servicing.

- NZPA