Radical Changes In Navy Likely

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31009, 15 March 1966, Page 15

Radical Changes In Navy Likely

Radical changes could be made to the Royal New Zealand Navy as a result of the extensive survey now being made of many facets of navy life and equipment, said Rear Admiral J. O’C. Ross, the Chief of Naval Staff, in Christchurch.

But it would be some time before the Navy got its “new look.” “When you are making radical changes,” said the admiral, “you don’t do so without looking very carefully at the need for them, the way to make them, and the long-term effect of them.” Admiral Ross said that any Navy dealing with sophisticated modern weapons and recruiting intelligent young men needed to make periodic reviews of its complete workings in order to maintain a modern approach to the way of life its men led. the equipment they used and ways in which they were trained. Most of the present survey was still in the planning stage, and much of it touched on Navy affairs that were still classified. Many Facets “I have a very small staff,” said Admiral Ross, “but a good one, and they are looking at many facets of Navy life. No, we are not restricting this to equipment We are looking at service conditions, too, and particularly personnel management.” Admiral Ross said the Navy was still recruiting in Spite of its shortage of ships, and the publicity given to the Navy’s difficulties had not affected the success of recruiting. “We must recruit all the time.” he said. “Sailors take several years to train and we can’t allow gaps to occur in the cycle. If we do it means that when the ships come there are gaps in the manning. Need For Frigates “You know, this business of ships being short has been over-played in a sense. I don’t under-emphasise the need for frigates and other classes of ship, but there has been a bit of a tendency to highlight it against the drama of the incident with the Royalist.” Admiral Ross said that

H.M.N.Z.S. Royalist which broke down last year and is now a stationary training vessel, was due to pay off this month, anyway. He said the negotiations with the Royal Navy for a new frigate were continuing and he was optimistic about the outcome.