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| Kawasaki P-1 Maritime Patrol Aircraft |
TOM PULLAR-STRECKER
The Defence Force has shot down a Japanese report that Japan and United States company Boeing are already in a "one-on-one fight" to supply maritime patrol aircraft worth more than $1 billion to the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
The Government confirmed in November that it planned to replace its fleet of six Orion maritime patrol aircraft, five Hercules transporters and two Boeing 757s within about the next 10 years.
The Nikkei Asian Review reported New Zealand would make a decision on replacement aircraft as "early as this [northern] summer".
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| Kawasaki C-2 Cargo AirCraft |
Representatives from the Japanese Defence Ministry and Kawasaki Heavy Industries visited Wellington last week to negotiate the sale of Kawasaki's P-1 patrol aircraft and C-2 transporters in what would be Japan's biggest-ever arms export deal, it said.
But a Defence Force spokesman said it had not received such a visit and it was "not involved in any negotiations with the Japanese Government or Kawasaki Heavy Industries". He also indicated there would be no decision on replacement aircraft this year.
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