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Douglas A-4 Skyhawk In New Zealand Service
The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) operated Douglas A-4 Skyhawk attack jet-aircraft from 1970 to 2001. The aircraft equipped the RNZAF's Strike Wing, serving with No. 75 Squadron RNZAF, No. 75 Squadron and, from 1984, No. 2 Squadron RNZAF, No. 2 Squadron. In late 2001, the aircraft were controversially Disbandment of the RNZAF air combat force, withdrawn from service without being replaced. Some were donated to aviation museums in New Zealand and Australia and the remainder were sold to Draken International, a private military contractor to the United States, in 2012. Background The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk was developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company in the early 1950s as a Subsonic aircraft, subsonic jet fighter for the United States Navy (USN). Entering service with the USN in 1956, the Skyhawk was an immediate success and flew in a number of conflicts around the world, ranging from the Vietnam War to the Falklands War, as well as the Gulf War, First Gulf War. With 2,960 exampl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
RNZAF A-4 DF-ST-85-06907
The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF; ) is the aerial warfare, aerial military service, service branch of the New Zealand Defence Force. It was formed initially in 1923 as a branch of the New Zealand Army, being known as the New Zealand Permanent Air Force, becoming an independent air force on 1 April 1937. The RNZAF fought in World War II, Malayan Emergency, Malaya, the Korean War, Vietnam War, Vietnam and the Gulf War and has undertaken United Nations peacekeeping missions. From a peak of over 1,000 combat aircraft in 1945, the RNZAF has shrunk to a strength of around 48 aircraft in 2022. It focuses on maritime patrol and transport duties in support of the Royal New Zealand Navy and the New Zealand Army. Its air combat capability ended in 2001, with the disbanding of the A-4 Skyhawk and Aermacchi MB-339 equipped squadrons. The Air Force is led by an Air Vice-Marshal who holds the appointment of Chief of Air Force (New Zealand), Chief of Air Force. The RNZAF motto is the sa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
