FW: [simpits-tech] A-4Ks...

[Sean Galbraith]

At 17:27 6/08/03 +1200, you wrote:
>The press are a little ahead of themselves. The same thing was reported
>in an NZ aviation magazine two month and then retracted last month.
>  I know the NZ liason for the entire deal personally. I was discussing
>this with him just a few weeks ago and he said that the press were a
>little ahead of themselves. It seems that the NZ Government were still
>haggling on price and getting the red tape details out of the way before
>signing the deal. Its almost certain they will end up with at ASTI but
>technically not yet. Interestingly a company in Auckland NZ put in a bid
>to the Govt. to purchase 2 of the A4k's that they planned to contract
>out the the NZ Navy for training exercises. A great idea but apparently
>the short sighted NZ Govt squashed the idea. Idiots if you ask me. Never
>mind.


Yeah the Kiwi press love a story, no matter how much truth is in it......
The idea of keeping some A-4''s to support the Navy (and Army for that 
matter) was a good one, but I heard that the Guv'mint would only accept a 
deal on the whole shooting box, no part deals.  Then again the operating 
expenses on a couple of T- Birds would have been horrendous!

There is a rumor that ATSI is in negotiations with the Aussies about 
operating some of the A-4's out of Nowra doing essentially what 2Sqn had 
been doing up until the end of 2001... why isn't the Air Force doing that, 
and making money at the same time?

Sean.