page_title: Royal New Zealand Air Force
section_title: Postwar RNZAF
hierarchical_section_title: Royal New Zealand Air Force / History / Postwar RNZAF
caption_attribution_description: A McDonnell Douglas TA-4K Skyhawk trainer aircraft of No. 75 Squadron, Royal New Zealand Air Force, evades simulated anti-aircraft missiles at the Crow Valley Electronic Warfare Tactical Range (Philippines) during Exercise COPE THUNDER '84-7.
context_page_description: The Royal New Zealand Air Force is the air force component of the New Zealand Defence Force. It was formed from New Zealand elements of the British Royal Air Force, becoming an independent force in 1923, although many RNZAF aircrew continued to serve in the Royal Air Force until the end of the 1940s. The RNZAF fought in World War II, Malaya, Korean War, Vietnam and the Gulf War as well as various United Nations peacekeeping missions. From a 1945 peak of over 1,000 combat aircraft the RNZAF has shrunk to a strength of around 51 aircraft in 2016, focusing on maritime patrol and transport duties in support of the Royal New Zealand Navy and the New Zealand Army. The RNZAF's air combat capability ended in 2001 with the disbanding of the A-4 Skyhawk squadrons. The Air Force is led by an air vice-marshal who holds the appointment of Chief of Air Force.
  The RNZAF motto is the same as that of the Royal Air Force, Per ardua ad astra, meaning "Through adversity to the stars".
context_section_description: In the post war period the RNZAF dealt progressively with demobilisation and disposal of its large obsolete fleet, rearmament to support the Cold War, some loss of training opportunities with the American suspension of ANZUS Treaty obligations in protest at New Zealand becoming a nuclear free zone, social changes which saw women become combat pilots, and most recently loss of fast jets as part of the continuing funding cuts, that have seen the air force decline from over a thousand aircraft to just fifty.
  Following the Second World War, No. 14 Squadron RNZAF was sent to Japan as part of the occupation J Force. The rest of the air force rapidly divested itself of aircraft and manpower and settled mainly into training and transport mode before the advent of the rejuvenated No. 14 Squadron RNZAF and No. 75 Squadron RNZAF.
  From 1949 Compulsory Military Training reinvigorated the reserve component of the Air Force. The four Territorial squadrons, No. 1 Squadron RNZAF (Auckland), Wellington, Canterbury and No. 4 Squadron, Territorial Air Force, at Taieri Aerodrome, Mosgiel, Otago, were equipped with the 30 Mustangs re-activated from storage, along with a few Tiger Moths and Harvards for each squadron. No. 4 Squadron TAF was active from at least 1951–55. From 1952–57 No. 6 Flying Boat Squadron operated as a Territorial unit at Hobsonville, flying Catalinas and later Sunderlands.
  A Gloster Meteor arrived in 1945, introducing the jet age. The force was equipped from 1946 with the De Havilland Mosquito before the arrival of De Havilland Vampires. Initially used in peacekeeping in Cyprus and Singapore the Vampires were supplemented by loaned De Havilland Venoms and, later, English Electric Canberras, both of which saw action in the Malayan Emergency and subsequent confrontation with Indonesia. The Chief of Air Staff appointed in June 1962 was Air Vice Marshal Ian G. Morrison, who was to oversee the modernisation of the RNZAF. Greener says that Morrison '..saw the three elements of the Air Force—strike capability, transport, and maritime patrol—as being of equal value, and sought improvements in aircraft in each area. He sought a replacement for the Sunderlands and found it in the Orion.' The RNZAF bought its own Canberras in 1962; these were replaced from 1969 with A-4 Skyhawks. In the late 1980s 10 further Skyhawks were obtained from Australia and, under the Kahu (Falcon) programme, the fleet was updated with F-16 avionics, (including APG 66 radar), allowing use of AIM-9L and AGM-65 Maverick missiles and laser-guided bombs.
  During the 1960s the ageing Vampire fleet was used largely for training and any pretence of maintaining a fighter arm was abandoned when these were replaced with BAC Strikemasters in the early 1970s. When, in the early 1990s these had to be retired due to serious wing fatigue problems, they were replaced in the training role by 18 Aermacchi MB-339s.
  In the immediate post war period, internal communications and transport and other services were maintained by No. 42 Squadron RNZAF. It supported the Army and Navy using Grumman TBM-1 Avengers (to tow drogue targets for gunnery), the Territorial Air Force's North American P-51D Mustangs and North American Harvards, the VIPs with De Havilland Devons, also used for support, communications and multi-engine conversion training, and Dakotas for VIP and communications support. De Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver, De Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter and Auster types helped to explore Antarctica. A research flight helped develop Aerial Topdressing. Later, Hawker Siddeley Andover and Cessna 421C Golden Eagle aircraft were used for transport and VIP duties.
  After the war, Nos. 5 and 6 Squadrons traded their lend-lease Catalinas for Short Sunderland MR5s operating in maritime patrol and search and rescue roles from Hobsonville and Laucala Bay, Fiji. 6 Squadron was disbanded and 5 Squadron received P-3B Orions in 1965.
  Transport aircraft such as the Douglas C-47 Dakota, Bristol Freighter, De Havilland Devon, Handley Page Hastings, Douglas DC-6, C-130 Hercules, Andover, Boeing 727 and 
caption: No. 75 Sqn. TA-4K in 1984
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