Aircraft to enhance defence activities

The National Main Stories
One of the aircraft at the PNG Defence Force Air Transport Wing (Jackson Airport). – Nationalpics by ANTOINETTE POIVI

ANTOINETTE POIVI
TWO PAC 750 aircraft given to the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) will enhance defence aviation cooperation activities, says Australia assistant defence minister Matt Thistlethwaite.
He said activities that were underway included the recently announced Defence Air Pacific Programme.
The PAC 750 aircraft that were formally handed over yesterday to Air Transport Wing (ATW) cost A$8.58 million, (about K21 million).
“The new aircraft brings the PNGDF’s PAC 750 fleet to three following the Australia Defence Force’s support to remediate PNGDF’s first PAC 750 in 2021,” Thistlethwaite said.
“The PNGDF aircraft was selected because of its ability to take off and land on short and varied airfields, which is highly valued in PNG’s diverse terrain and geography.”
Thistlethwaite said Australia through the Royal Australian Air Force, the Defence Cooperation programme and the Flights of Excellence programme would continue to work closely with the PNGDF on aviation safety, maintenance and sustainment throughout the operational life of the aircraft.
“The PNGDF has qualified four pilots on the aircrafts and PNGDF loadmasters and maintenance personnel have been integrated into PAC 750 activities,” he said.
Both countries have also continued to partner in support of PNG’s security infrastructure priorities, for which construction work is underway to refurbish PNGDF’s ATW at Jackson International Airport.
Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso said from a government’s perspective, they had neglected the ATW for a very long time.
“This is now the start of ensuring the ATW becomes the formidable force that it should become so that it will lay the part way for the growth of our PNGDF,” he said.

3 comments

  • Our Defence Forces need Jet fighter planes not just tiny one engine planes.
    How about getting Chinese or even Turkey to train our pilots on their war equipment including planes, war drones like Byractar to patrol our seas from the sky. These drones could provide long distance surveillance cover from the skies and land monitoring our fish stocks and land resources.. Having said that I am aware of the costs involved to run such a fleet. Right now Australia cannot defend itself against any external threat excepted relying on allies. They can’t even defend us. We live in a volatile world PNG.

  • When are we going to buy one for ourselves for a change instead of being a recipient of donated equipment including military items for the rest of our lives? Don’t we have any pride in ourselves now that we have come of age after fifty years of independence? Did our so-called founding fathers have any vision for the future or were they only driven by emotions and egocentric ambitions?

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