New Zealand Defence Force Orders of Battle, 1985-1990

[Matryoshka]

[Placeholder for NZ Army]

[Matryoshka]

ROYAL NEW ZEALAND NAVY, 1985-1990

Frigates

Rothesay (Type 12M) Class
F 111, HMNZS Otago

Leander (Type 12I) Class
Batch 1 (Ikara equipped)
F 18, HMNZS Taranaki (ex-HMS Galatea)
F 38, HMNZS Northland (ex-HMS Arethusa)
F 104, HMNZS Southland (ex-HMS Dido)*

Batch 2.TA
F 55, HMNZS Waikato

Batch 3 (unmodified ‘Broad Beam’)
F 12, HMNZS Achilles (ex-HMS Achilles)
F 69, HMNZS Wellington (ex-HMS Bacchante)
F 421, HMNZS Canterbury*

Notes: * denotes lost in action.
Otago, Waikato, Canterbury built specifically for RNZN; all others transferred from RN service. Taranaki, Northland, Achilles refit September 1987 prior to transfer, commissioned into RNZN early November 1987.
LOSSES:
» F 104, HMNZS Southland - 03/04 September 1985. Quayside, HMNZS Devonport; struck by two SS-N-12 missiles from Echo-II SSGN; back broken, sank immediately; twenty-three deaths aboard.
» F 421, HMNZS Canterbury - 03/04 September 1985. Karimata Straits, Indonesia, returning from port-visit to Singapore with HMAS Canberra; struck by three AS-4 missiles from Tu-95 Bear-G bombers; exploded and sank immediately; no survivors.
WARTIME REFITS:
Sept.’85 - ‘instant upgrade’, Auckland NZ. HMNZS Otago, HMNZS Wellington, HMNZS Waikato delete Sea Cat, receive Signaal/Oerlikon Reaper (2x25mm) CIWS.
Sept.-Oct.’87 - Pre-transfer upgrade, Newcastle UK. HMS Galatea, HMS Arethusa delete Type 965 radar, dual Sea Cat launchers; receive LW08 air-search radar, Telegon HF-DF, Phoenix ESM, G750 hull-mounted sonar, Mk.32 torpedo-tubes, Nautis-F combat data system, Mk.36 chaff launchers, dual Signaal/Oerlikon Reaper CIWS.
Sept.-Oct.’87 - Pre-transfer upgrade, Clyde UK. HMS Achilles deletes Type 965 radar, Sea Cat launcher, Mk.6 GFCS; receives LW08 air-search radar, R-76C5 GFCS, Telegon HF-DF, Phoenix ESM, G750 hull-mounted sonar, Mk.32 torpedo-tubes, Nautis-F combat data system, Mk.36 chaff launchers, Signaal/Oerlikon Reaper CIWS.
Apr.-May.’88 - ‘commonality upgrade’, Williamstown Aus. HMNZS Wellington refit to same specifications as HMNZS Achilles.
Jul.-Aug.’88 - ‘commonality upgrade’, Williamstown Aus. HMNZS Waikato refit to same specifications as Achilles, Wellington.
Oct.-Nov.’88 - ‘commonality upgrade’, Williamstown Aus. HMNZS Otago refit to same specifications as Achilles, Wellington, Waikato.

Patrol Forces
Moa
P 3553, HMNZS Moa
P 3554, HMNZS Kiwi
P 3555, HMNZS Wakakura
P 3556, HMNZS Hinau

Notes:
Construction approved 1982. Built in Whangarei NZ, commissioned 1983-1985. Full-load displacement 105 tons. Minimal armament, purely in-shore patrol vessels with secondary training role.

[Matryoshka]

[Placeholder for fuller RNZAF OrBat(s)]

ROYAL NEW ZEALAND AIR FORCE, 1985-1990

— 2 Squadron (RNZAF Base Ohakea/RAAF Base Nowra)
Aircraft: TA-4K Skyhawk; later also A-4G [replaced by JAS 39E/F in 2007]
Re-established July 1986. Initially used as OTU and to provide aggressors for RAN air-defence exercises; later received ex-RAN A-4G (following RAN receipt of upgraded A-4M) and formed secondary attack component of RAAF northern defence force.

— 3 Squadron (RNZAF Base Ohakea)
Aircraft: UH-1H Iroquois, Bell 47G-3B-2 (later Agusta A109LUH)
Battlefield helicopter squadron. Bell 47G used for ab initio training; replaced by Agusta A109LUH (four delivered 1988, six more 1989). UH-1H replaced by Battlefield Lynx (equiv. AH.9) post-war.

— 5 Squadron (RNZAF Base Auckland)
Aircraft: P-3K Orion
Maritime/ASW patrol squadron. Three P-3K deployed to Fiji in support of Operation SOUTHERN CROSS January 1986, supplemented by fourth (Kawasaki-built) airframe in June 1986. Fiji detachment involved in Coup of April 1987, US/Commonwealth intervention (Operation POHUTUKAWA) October 1987. Total of four additional airframes purchased from Kawasaki 1985-1988.

— 6 Squadron (RNZAF Base Auckland)
Aircraft: Wasp HAS.1; later also Lynx Mk.53 (HAS.3)
Operates all naval helicopters assigned to RNZN vessels. Six Lynx Mk.53 (equiv. HAS.3) received as part of transfer of HMNZS Achilles, Northland, Taranaki, HMAS Culgoa (ex-HMS Ariadne) November 1987. One airframe remained assigned to Culgoa and operated by 6 Squadron RNZAF 1987-1990, transferred to RNZAF/RNZN operation with decommissioning of Culgoa in 1991. Wasps retired post-war. [Lynx Mk.53s upgraded to Mk.58/HMA.8 standard 1999-2002.]

— 14 Squadron (RNZAF Base Ohakea)
Aircraft: Strikemaster Mk.88; later Hawk 68
Tactical jet ab initio training unit. Strikemasters subjected to manoeuvre limitations following discovery of fatigue-cracking issues August 1985; five Hawk 68 procured as interim replacement January 1987, with ten more following September 1988.

— 40 Squadron (RNZAF Base Auckland)
Aircraft: C-130H(NZ) Hercules; Boeing 727
Long-range transport squadron. Boeing 727s operated as VIP transports, replaced with 757s post-war.

— 42 Squadron (RNZAF Base Ohakea)
Aircraft: Andover C.1; later also Beech Kingair B200 (1988 onwards)
Andovers formerly operated by 1 Squadron (disestablished 1984) in tactical transport role. B200s used for aerial navigator training.

— 75 Squadron (RNZAF Base Ohakea)
Aircraft: TA-4K/A-4K Skyhawk [replaced by JAS 39E/F in 2012]
Primary tactical fighter squadron of RNZAF Strike Wing. Logistical constraints precluded deployment outside New Zealand during WW3.

— 75 Squadron [Whidbey] (NAS Whidbey Island)
Aircraft: A-4M Skyhawk* [replaced by JAS 39E/F in 2010]
Established as two-flight unit in United States 1985 under SQNLDR (later WGCDR) Jonathan Robertson; under operational control RAF Canada throughout war; stationed at NAS Whidbey Island 1985-1990; equipped with new-production A-4Ms from Downey*. Participated in First Battle of Vancouver, Battle of Puget Sound, Second Battle of Vancouver. Some contemporary accounts refer to this detachment as “487 Squadron RNZAF”, but this was purely an unofficial/counter-culture designation. Disestablished 1991; surviving personnel and aircraft returned to New Zealand, absorbed into 75 Squadron.

Notes:
* Project KAHU upgrade suite for A-4s was in trials (2 ex-RNZAF demonstration airframes completed) pre-war as private offering to RNZAF and RAN, intended as RNZAF transitional capability prior to probable F/A-18 purchase c.1995. Refit included APG-65 radar, ring-laser gyro, other modern avionics, compatibility with GBU-12/-16 LGBs, AIM-9H/L, AIM-7F, AGM-65D/E/G, AGM-88A missiles. Programme deemed cost- and time-inefficient in time of war; both completed airframes returned to RNZAF, transferred to 75 Squadron [Whidbey], operated as flight-lead airframes. One destroyed outright by SA-N-4, Battle of Puget Sound; one damaged beyond economic repair by AAA and landing accident/fire [timeframe TBD], returned to Ohakea post-war, transformed into gate-guard. Programme revisited with McDonnell Douglas post-war [results TBD].

[Lordroel]

Looks good.

[Bernard Woolley]

Just noticed that the RNZAF has two 75 Squadrons.

[Belushi TD]

Its the exchange rate....



Belushi TD

[Matryoshka]

My original write-up had 487 Squadron being stood up as a wartime-emergency two-flight unit operating out of NAS Whidbey Island, then being retained as our second fighter squadron in the post-war environment. (What can I say? 487 Squadron flew Mosquito fighter-bombers in WWII, and I’ve had a soft-spot for that bird since I saw 633 Squadron as a lad.)

However, when the new boards went up, and Matt Wiser (re-)posted the review of the A-4 Skyhawk during WWIII, that write-up overwrote major aspects of the set-up I posted on the old boards: it declared that ‘487 Squadron’ was in fact just a detachment of 75 Squadron (not a new unit in its own right), and that it used new-build A-4Ms (because as much as I love the @ ‘Kahu’ upgrade to our A-4Ks and ex-RAN A-4Gs, a wartime environment requires getting airframes onto the flightline ASAFP, and the improvement in capabilities offered by the Kahu package were insufficient to justify investing the additional resources and downtime).

Like Wolfman’s signature says, this is Matt Wiser’s sandbox, I am the interloper, and I get to put my ordnance where he says, when he says. Therefore, ‘75 Squadron (Whidbey)’ is legally a detached sub-unit of the larger 75 Squadron, flying A-4Ms built by the Downey production-line. They might call themselves ‘487 Squadron’ internally, but it’s a counter-culture nickname and a half-joke, rather than anything legally binding.