New group wants rid of ‘irrelevant’ defences

Press, 1 February 1986, Page 9

New group wants rid of ‘irrelevant’ defences

PA 3 Wellington New Zealand’s main defence concern must be to remove the ’ risk of nuclear conflict from the Pacific, says a,new organisation.

Patrons of the group, Just Defence, Include a former Secretary of Defence, Sir Jack Hunn, and the former Ombudsman, Sir Guy Powles. Other patrons are a trade unionist, Ms Sonja Davies, a peace activist, Ms Hilda HalkyardHarawira, a Professor of Zoology at Auckland Uni-

versity, Professor John Morton, and a political science professor at Victoria University, Professor John Roberts. Just Defence released its first newsletter yesterday, urging people to make submissions to the Government’s defence review.

The group said New Zealanders supported neither pacifism nor nuclear alliances. "There need to be two guiding principles — ensuring a defence that is just, and designing armed

forces and policies that are just for defence, not for aggression against any other people or nations.” The newsletter listed 14 “key elements of a just defence”. “The central concern of a just defence in the 1980 s must be removing the risks of nuclear conflict from our region, and working to ensure a global nuclear war never happens,” it said. "Visits by nuclearcapable warships, exer-

cises with nuclear armed forces, contributions to

nuclear weapons command and control systems and a military alliance with a nuclear weapon nation all reduce, not enhance, our security.” The concrete fortresses, battleships, tanks and guns of past wars would offer no defence in any future world war, Just Defence said. “Without fundamental change, New Zealand, sooner or later, will be drawn into more Vietnamtype wars.” New Zealand should not align itself with any

nuclear Powers, although it could have a military alliance with South Pacific nations or Australia. “While the option of regional alliance should be open, alliance with nuclear and other Powers outside the South Pacific is not in New Zealand’s interests. “No New Zealand military involvement outside our region has practical relevancy to our real defence needs,” Just Defence said. A stable, co-operative and independent South

Pacific would always be New Zealand’s best defence against outside aggression. Trade, foreign and immigration policies were more effective tools for achieving security than military power, the newsletter said. Just Defence called for New Zealand’s Armed Forces to be restructured round a "distinctively New Zealand vision of defence and security”. “In the context of these changes, and New Zealand’s rejection of nuclear weaponry, the A.N.Z.U.S. alliance should be allowed to come to a natural end.” The group said New Zealand should cut the United States off from Intelligence gathered by the Tangimoana "signals Intelligence” facility in the Manawatu. The base routinely provided information, including ship and submarine positions, to the United States military. “There is nothing to stop this information being used for nuclear weapons targeting. Although the Government denies this overseas link, it is open knowledge in defence circles that the Tangimoana base provides Intelligence to the United States. “This occurs ~,even though the United States has cut off all Intelligence

in the opposite direction.” On the future of the Armed Forces, Just Defence said the Navy’s primary role should be resource protection within the 200-mile exclusive economic zone. Frigates were inappropriate and needlessly costly for that role.

“Indeed, the frigates are even incapable of performing effectively the military role for which they have been designed.” The frigates were designed for use within a large allied naval force, and on their own were unsuited to any uses New Zealand could have for them.

Smaller less expensive vessels with a greater range and less offensive ~ capability, such as corvettes, should immediately be phased in to replace the frigates, with any anti-shipping role taken over by the Air Force.

The Air Force should have three main functions — anti-shipping, fisheries protection-maritime ■ surveillance, and transport All of these functions could be performed with less sophisticated and cheaper propeller driven aircraft The size of the force should, be expanded, and made up of aircraft such as Fokker Friendships

which could be cheaply and easily serviced throughout New Zealand, Just Defence said. The Oribns should be sold, and the Skyhawks and Strikemasters replaced by propeller aircraft with a defensive rather than offensive capability. Modern precisionguided missiles would add an anti-shipping force. Just Defence said the Army’s tanks and armoured personnel carriers were outdated, irrelevant and wasteful, and should be replaced by “vastly cheaper” four and six-wheel, drive vehicles. The Government should not cany out its plan to buy new 105 mm and 155 mm howitzers, and instead should work to standardise artillery calibres within and between the forces The Army’s ready reaction force should be disbanded and replaced by a reorganised and reequipped defence force. The Singapore battalion, which “remained a monument to the inability of our defence chiefs and politicians to adopt a coherent defence policy,” should be brought home. “The goal of a just defence should be to reduce defence spending while increasing effectiveness.” ■