Vietnam troop problem

Special Correspondent

If our Government decides to send more troops to Vietnam, have we the troops to send and the equipment for them?

One Proposal for more troops, made recently by the Sunday Times, envisages a self-contained Vietnam unit comprising infantry and artillery, with helicopter transport and support groups, This unit, which would be similar to the present Australian unit, would comprise about 1500 men.

Considering present army strength, about three-quarters of the proposed unit would have to be national service men.

The cost of such a unit would be so great that it is unlikely it could be deployed without putting the New Zealand economy on something near a war footing.

It would need several helicopters, and these would have a short life if the American experience is a guide. These would need to be new equipment as the present New Zealand helicopters are unsuitable for transport work.

At least one large transport aircraft, and more probably two or three, would be needed for supplies.

The additional cost of supplies, ammunition. weapons and wages, would place heavy strain on the New Zealand economy.

But this economy would suffer further from the drain of manpower to supply the unit. For a field force of 1500 the total call-up would prob ably be nearly 3000 and this would be followed by a steady chain in replacements and casualties. New Zealand's existing labour shortage would deteriorate further.

Further, the men who are rent run the risk of a high casualty rate—for their training would be inadequate if they are merely national servicemen.

The army, considering the time and money available, does a very good job of training its conscripts, but few army personnel would consider men to be properly trained troops without at least nine months and. preferably, one year of really intensive training.

Proposals, such as that of the Sunday Times, for an in-creased force without additional training of this nature, would make cannon-fodder of any such New Zealand force.