https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360531094/government-issues-tender-replace-nzdfs-ailing-jets
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/government-settles-on-two-options-for-757-fast-tracks-replacement-for-2027/I3JLCKI5NRBUBM2V2GERTNW4YM/
The search for a replacement to the RNZAF’s aged Boeing 757 airplanes has been narrowed down to two options, a Boeing 737 Max 8 or Airbus A321 NEO.
[...]
A news release on the Ministry of Defence website said the Government has released a tender to market to replace the 757s by the end of 2027 – much sooner than initially thought.
[...]
Defence Minister Judith Collins previously said replacing the 757s would cost “hundreds of millions” of dollars, which the Government couldn’t afford.
Interesting about-turn from Collins here.
It's blatantly obvious the aircraft need replacing, but the choice of a 737 Max or A321neo seem suboptimal. Both mean no main-deck cargo any more and the Max also cannot take palletised or containerised lower-deck cargo, essentially meaning everything must be split into cartons and carried/placed by hand - not exactly practical for what is supposedly our 'strategic airflifter'.
Both are latest generation narrowbodies in high and very high demand, meaning that we'll need to pay a serious premium to buy them at short notice (or at all).
Their main advantage over previous generations is lower fuel burn reducing operating costs. We wouldn't operate them enough to see the lower operating cost make a difference.
Lower fuel burn also increases payload/range, but I doubt either option is going to be going to Antarctica as range will already be lower than the 757 and that was somewhat touchy (the weather incident a few years back). I would expect the C-130 to take over the role.
If it's only carrying VIPs or troops, then an end-of-line A319/A320/737-700 with aux centre tanks would be a far cheaper, just as capable/incapable, and far more available choice.
While we did buy P-8s for S&R, they have a militarised cockpit with EICAS so crew commonality with commercial 737s probably wouldn't happen.
Unfortunately, the 757 really hasn't had a proper replacement. Boeing was mulling over something but we know what's happened there.
If we want to be moving significant amounts of freight around, then we really need to move to something bigger. There's a few possible options:
- The Embraer KC-390 is basically an A321-size wing+engines with a military body for airdrops, ground loading vehicles etc. We have the C-130 for that but the KC-390 carries a bit more, a bit further, a bit faster.
- Kawasaki C-2 carries much more and goes much further, but at a higher price. They were trying to sell them to us in 2019 and we could probably get them pretty quickly. High operating costs as it's a dedicated military plane.
- C-17s are ludicrously expensive to buy and operate, and no longer in production. Not a good choice.
- Might be able to get some end-of-line 767s. Costs a bit more to operate, probably cheaper to buy than an A321neo. Way better payload and range.
- A330-200 or -800. These are what the A330 MRTT is based on. Buckets of payload and range, Airbus wants to get rid of them and can barely find buyers. Reasonably expensive to operate because of the size.