Kiwi Freedom Fighters

**Spinners** · March 4

Northrop F-5D Freedom Fighter - No.75 Squadron, Royal New Zealand Air Force, 1968

The New Zealand Government's decision to send troops to Vietnam in 1964 was highly controversial but was simply an escalation of the previous position of New Zealand assistance via various support structures such as the Civilian Surgical Team and the supply of a small non-combatant military force of engineers. The Royal New Zealand Air Force had provided transport assistance since 1962 and this had begun to increase when a sufficiently large airstrip to accommodate the Bristol Freighters of No.40 Squadron was built at Nui Dat. American pressure on both Australia and New Zealand to increase their support to US Forces in Vietnam continued and on March 31st, 1966 Sir Keith Holyoake, the New Zealand Prime Minister, announced that the Royal New Zealand Air Force would contribute to a joint RAAF/RNZAF combat wing consisting of three squadrons (two RAAF and one RNZAF) operating a version of the F-5A 'Freedom Fighter' which had just finished a succcessful five-month combat evaluation during 'Operation Skoshi Tiger'.

On April 30th, 1966 No.75 Squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force at Ohakea was disbanded and a new No.75 Squadron was formed on the following day at Bien Hoa Air Base in South-Central southern Vietnam operating a handful of F-5A's and F-5B's loaned from USAF stocks. Experiences gained from 'Skoshi Tiger' were incorporated into a new version of the basic F-5A designated as the F-5D and initial deliveries were made to No.75 Squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force during August 1966 and the squadron were declared operational at the end of September 1966. The joint RAAF/RNZAF combat wing at Bien Hoa operated in ground-attack operations over South Vietnam and gained an enviable reputation for bombing accuracy and aircraft availability. When the joint RAAF/RNZAF combat wing finally ceased operations at the end of 1971 only eleven F-5D's had been lost over Vietnam - nine to enemy ground fire and two due to an unfortunate collision at take-off. All remaining aircraft were handed over to the Republic of Vietnam Air Force in 1972 in a move financed by the Nixon administration as part of the wider policy of 'Vietnamization'.