WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Combat pilots, devastated by New Zealand's decision to eliminate its air defense, warned Wednesday they would look for work overseas.
Defense cuts announced Tuesday will eliminate all jet fighters from the air force, leaving it with just six aging maritime patrol aircraft and some unarmed transport planes.
Wing Commander Nick Osborne, who commands 75 Squadron, the main fighter group, said his troops had no desire to fly unarmed transport planes. He said many were considering seeking work elsewhere.
"There is a real art to becoming a combat pilot. It's not something I want to give up," Osborne said. "There is a lot of anger at the government. Many feel the decision hasn't been thought through, but we're not politicians."
The navy also is being cut back — to two frigates and a clutch of fishery protection vessels. Prime Minister Helen Clark insists the cuts are not a risk because New Zealand faces no serious security threat.
The cuts come at a time when other nations in the region are boosting their armed forces, amid rising tension between China and Taiwan and instability in Indonesia and the South Pacific. Analysts predicted New Zealand would be left internationally isolated and vulnerable.
"This independent policy envisages us relying more on other peoples' contributions of money and lives," said Gerald Hensley, a former senior defense official.
It also means New Zealand will no longer play a meaningful role in the Five Power Defense Arrangement, Hensley said, which links it with Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and Great Britain.
The air force cuts will eliminate about 700 jobs, ending a tradition stretching back to World War I and World War II, when New Zealand pilots earned a reputation for skill and bravery.
"The government yesterday destroyed No. 75 Squadron — something Hitler's (anti-aircraft) flak and fighters couldn't do," the New Zealand Press Association said.