Pacific Island nations Military News (Includes New Zealand)

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
This thread is about the Military News of independent nation Pacific Islands. Islands like New Zealand, Brunei, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, the Solomon Islands, etc.

Islands owned or administered by other nations are not included.

Islands like the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, etc are part of SE Asia.

Islands like Taiwan, Japan, etc. have their own threads. Australia has its own thread

I will start this thread with the news of the commissioning of HMPNGS Lakekamu, L128, into service with the Papua New Guinea Defense Force (PNGDF). She was the former HMAS Labaun, a Balikpapan class heavy landing craft.

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1280px-HMAS_Labuan_(L_128).jpg

Papa New Guinea said:
A ceremony was held in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea to mark the commissioning of the Landing Craft Heavy HMPNGS Lakekamu into service with the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF).

HMPNGS Lakekamu was formerly the Royal Australia Navy Landing Craft Heavy HMAS Labuan, which was decommissioned from Australian service at a ceremony in Cairns last month.

Defence Minister Senator David Johnston welcomed the gifting of MMAS Labuan, which fulfilled a commitment the Abbott Government made to Papua New Guinea last year.

Senator Johnston said following its decommissioning HMPNGS Lakekamu was sailed to Port Moresby by a combined Royal Australian Navy and Papua New Guinea Defence Force crew.

HMPNGS Lakekamu has been gifted to Papua New Guinea as a training vessel, and will be used by the PNGDF to develop mariner skills and a seaworthiness culture in the Maritime Element’s growing workforce.

HMPNGS Lakekamu has been named after the Lakekamu River, in Gulf Province, south-western Papua New Guinea, and is the first PNGDF vessel to bear that name.

As HMAS Labuan, the vessel had visited the Papua New Guinea on several occasions, including during her first operational voyage in 1973.

Senator Johnston will visit Papua New Guinea on December 15 for the Australia-Papua New Guinea Ministerial Forum on 15 December, to hold his second Defence Ministers’ Meeting with Dr Fabian Pok.
 

Jeff Head

General
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HMNZS-Wellington-Concludes-Fisheries-Patrol.jpg

Naval Today said:
Royal New Zealand Navy’s frigate HMNZS Wellington has arrived in Honiara after helping New Zealand’s South West Pacific neighbours patrol for illegal and unlicensed fishing activity in their waters.

The vessel sailed from New Caledonia last Friday carrying two Senior Agents from the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF), and two Senior Agents from the Vanuatu Police Force (Maritime) to conduct a combined patrol of the Vanuatu and Solomon Islands’ Exclusive Economic Zones.

During the patrol three vessels targeting tuna species were hailed inside Vanuatu waters and two more were hailed in the Solomon Islands region.

The Navy assisted a combined team of Vanuatu Police Force and RSIPF to successfully board two of the five boats. The team checked the vessels’ information and confirmed there were no infringements.

The Wellington is one of two 1,900 ton Protector Class Offshore Patrol vessels, HMNZS Otago, P148, and HMNZ Wellington, P55, shown here. They are both operated by the New Zealand Navy. They are very nice and capable OPVs.


P148_-_HMNZS_Otago.jpg
HMNZS Otago

1280px-MC_10-0180-011_NEF_-_Flickr_-_NZ_Defence_Force.jpg
HMNZS Wellington​
 

TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King
on the Smaller Scale the New Zealand Army is Dropping the AUG in favor of a M4 derivative.
Individual Weapon Replacement
Client: New Zealand Army
Description
This project will replace the existing New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) Steyr rifle with a new individual weapon.

Government approval
In May 2014, the Government authorised the Secretary of Defence to undertake a competitive tender process to select a replacement individual weapon for the NZDF.

Current status
A Request for Tender for the provision of contemporary individual weapons, necessary training, and associated support to the NZDF closed on 12 November 2014. Following the evaluation of the tender responses, the companies listed below were selected for the trials programme phase of the evaluation, which was undertaken between 2 March and 1 June 2015.

The following companies were selected for the Individual Weapon trials phase:

  • Beretta New Zealand Limited
  • Česká zbrojovka a.s.
  • Colt Canada Corporation
  • FN HERSTAL
  • STEYR MANNLICHER GmbH
  • XTEK Limited (Sig Sauer)
  • Heckler & Kock GmbH
  • Lewis Machine & Tools Co Inc
Following the trials programme phase of the evaluation of tenders, the Ministry has selected Lewis Machine & Tool Co Inc of the USA as preferred Tenderer. Subject to the Ministry undertaking a Due Dilligence activity and negotiation of a contract package, New Zealand Government approval will be sought to proceed to award of a contract.

Contact
For further information see the New Zealand Army website
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or contact:

Acquisition Division
Ministry of Defence
PO Box 12703
Molesworth Street
Wellington 6144
New Zealand

Phone: +64 4 496 0678
Fax: +64 4 496 0859
Email: [email protected]

As at 12 August 2015
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The Configuration seems to be based on the
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It's a Direct Impingement AR with a 16 or 18 inch barrel
 

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
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Aus-PAT-01.jpg

Naval Technology said:
The Australian Government has signed a $305m contract with Austal to support the Royal Australian Navy's pacific patrol boats replacement (PPBR) project.

Under the contract, Austal will construct 19 steel-hulled patrol boats. The contract also includes an option for two additional vessels.

The company was selected as a preferred tenderer last month by the country for the PPBR programme.

Design work by Austal is expected to begin immediately, with construction starting next year, and the first delivery scheduled in 2018. Work under the project will run up to 2023.

The ships will be constructed at Austal's shipyard in Henderson and the contract is anticipated to generate 120 direct jobs, along with business opportunities for local and Australian subcontractors.

Additionally, support work will be performed at Austal's existing contracted facility in Cairns, Queensland, which will engage local subcontractors in the region to deliver support services.

Austal CEO David Singleton said: "Given our extensive facilities at Henderson we will need to make only minor investments in training and equipment to support construction of steel vessels of this size.

"Importantly, by expanding into steel we will further enhance the shipyard as we position Austal to bid and win additional domestic defence shipbuilding contracts.

"The contract also opens up new opportunities to further develop our successful export programmes, which have accounted for up to 80% of our production in the past, making Austal Australia's most successful shipbuilder."

The 39.5m-long PPBR will be based on Austal's patrol boat design platform and can accommodate a crew of 23. It can achieve a speed of 20k and has range of 3000nm at 12k.
These will replace the 22 existing Pacific Patrol Boats that Australia built from 1985 to 1997 and gave to allied island nations in the Pacific.

They looked like this:

Aus-PAT-02.jpg

Austal is growing significantly and getting many orders from around the world. These new boats add to that. They build the Independence class LCS, as well as the Spearhead Class Fast transports for the US Navy too.
 

TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King
Monday, 13 June 2016 12:02



Eurosatory 2016
Defence & Security International Exhibition
Official News online with Editorial and Web TV
Paris, France
13 - 17 June 2016


LMT Defense at Eurosatory 2016




LMT Defense highlights MARS-L M4 modular ambidextrous rifle system
LMT Defense is excited to announce they are releasing the Modular Ambidextrous Rifle System – Light (MARS-L), the most modern ambidextrous M4 ever. The MARS-L platform was designed in response to a foreign military requirement to field a fully ambidextrous weapon system with complete symmetry and commonality of controls so that users could manipulate the weapon from either side in the same fashion. This weapon now proudly serves the New Zealand Defence Force. The MARS-L can been seen at the Eurosatory 2016 exhibition on booth C 697.

LMT_Defense_highlights_MARS_L_M4_modular_ambidextrous_rifle_system_640_001.jpg
LMT Defense MARS-L Modular Ambidextrous Rifle System

The weapon is fully ambidextrous with LMT Defense designed and manufactured: Ambi-Safety Selector Switch; Ambi-Magazine Release Button; Ambi-Bolt Catch/Release Paddle; and Ambi-Charging Handle. All have been tested and vetted by both military and law enforcement agencies.

The ambidextrous features allow an operator to perform more operations from either hand including catching the bolt with the right index finger so as not to remove the hand from the grip. To achieve this, the new lower forging design includes the bumps for the Ambi- Bolt Catch/Release Paddle, Ambi- Magazine Release Button and Fence Well. The lower forging also includes a flared magazine well that assists the operator in locating the magazine during insertion.

The modular weapon design is available in Semi-Auto (LS) or Select Fire (LA) models with 14.5”, 16”, 18” and 20” barrel options and can be fitted with the CQB upper to accommodate a 10.5” barrel. The weapon also includes eight QD locations - five on the front rail, one in the end plate of the lower receiver and two on the stock. The weapon is “lightweight” in that it is designed for smaller rifle calibers: 5.56mm, .300 Blackout, .204Ruger, and 6.8 SPCI. Finally, the MARS-L utilizes LMT Defense’s monolithic upper receiver to ensure the straightest and strongest rail in the industry. The one piece aluminum forging also allows for the longest barrel extension in the industry which contributes to the greatest weapon accuracy on a production scale.
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SamuraiBlue

Captain
Japan in talks with New Zealand for defense aircraft
Tokyo aiming for its first major arms contract
0102N-P-1-patrol-aircraft_article_main_image.jpg



TOKYO -- Japan is in negotiations with New Zealand to export the Self-Defense Forces' patrol and transport aircraft, in hopes of beating out U.S. and European competition to score its first large-scale arms contract.

The deal will also involve the maintenance of the planes, and is potentially worth billions of dollars. Tokyo in September provided unclassified information on the P-1 maritime patrol plane and C-2 transporter, both developed by
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, in response to Wellington's requests.

Representatives from Japan's defense ministry and Kawasaki Heavy are in New Zealand for negotiations. Japan could come up with a proposal in the first half of 2017 concerning the price, production process and maintenance of the planes. It will also consider jointly producing certain parts with New Zealand....... to read more
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SamuraiBlue

Captain
This could actually come true since Air New Zealand/New Zealand military does not operate any Boeing 737 so the P8 has no advantage in terms of spare parts supply chain and Boeing doesn't have an alternative proposal for large cargo transport since the C-17 production line had already closed.
 

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
This could actually come true since Air New Zealand/New Zealand military does not operate any Boeing 737 so the P8 has no advantage in terms of spare parts supply chain and Boeing doesn't have an alternative proposal for large cargo transport since the C-17 production line had already closed.
I knew Japan would be going after these types of orders.

And who can blame them?

They have a great product and are willing to sell. Just depends if they can get them at a good enough price.

The P-1 is an excellent and very capable aircraft.
 
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