Wellington, July 22 NZPA - The Government is close to finalising a deal which would put the delayed upgrade of air force C130 Hercules aircraft back on track and in its own hands.

Wellington, July 21 NZPA - The Defence Force (NZDF) has been severely criticised by Auditor-General Lyn Provost for the way it handled a case of wrongly claimed allowances by officers seconded to the United Nations.

Wellington, July 14 NZPA - Hamilton-based aircraft-maker Pacific Aerospace is lobbying Defence Minister Wayne Mapp to have its single-engine turbo-prop P750 aircraft included in the Government's defence white paper due to be completed in the next three months.

Wellington, June 5 NZPA - The air force could not take part in two overseas exercises this year because it didn't have enough planes, Defence Minister Wayne Mapp has confirmed.

Wellington, July 2 NZPA - Science Minister Wayne Mapp says a new applied powder metallurgy centre at the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic will be the innovative hub of New Zealand's emerging titanium industry.

Wellington, July 1 NZPA - Government scientists are being awarded a cool $15 million for research in Antarctica.

Wellington, June 25 NZPA - The Government has announced 18 new appointments to the boards of Crown Research Institutes (CRIs) and says it has chosen people with exceptional skills.

Wellington, June 24 NZPA - Prime Minister John Key says there has been no change in the Government's position to pull SAS troops out of Afghanistan in March.

By Chris Ormond of NZPA Wellington, June 24 NZPA - Administrations with forces in Afghanistan are confident the situation there will improve to a stage where it will be set to self-govern by the end of 2011, Defence Minister Wayne Mapp says.

Wellington, June 24 NZPA - Defence Minister Wayne Mapp has confirmed that SAS troops will stay in Afghanistan until March next year. Dr Mapp was questioned about New Zealand's special forces and aid efforts in the war-torn country in a defence select committee meeting today.