By NICK LEE-FRAMPTON
WELLINGTON — New Zealand on Tuesday released its Defence Capability Plan (DCP), which calls for increasing the defense force’s “proficiency at joint operations and growing its combat, combat support and combat service support capabilities,” said Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman.
The DCP is the second such document since the 2010 Defence White Paper, and is not merely a list of projects, Coleman said.
Work has commenced to quantify the size of the defense force’s airlift requirements as a first step toward providing options for replacement of the Air Force’s C-130H Hercules and Boeing 757 fleets, between 2018 and 2025. This will require a significant investment, the new report said. All but one of the five Hercules have completed the type’s life extension program and the final aircraft is scheduled to be returned to service next year.
Read the full story at DefenseNews