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Army and NZDF set to welcome new workhorse utility vehicle

New Zealand Defence Force

From 2027 Ngāti Tūmatauenga, the New Zealand Army, will receive sixty brand new utility vehicles in a significant boost to New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) capabilities.

21 November, 2024

In a signing ceremony at Defence House on Wednesday, Secretary of Defence Brook Barrington finalised a contract with Spanish military vehicle manufacturer UROVESA - the first time the NZDF has engaged in a significant procurement from Spain in the Land Domain.

It is the latest stage of the Protected Mobility Capability Project (PMCP), which has already seen the NZ Army acquire new operational vehicles in the form of the Bushmaster and Polaris fleets.

The delivery of the first 60 utility vehicles will bring40 VAMTAC CK3 medium and 20 VAMTAC ST5 light variants for operational roles.

It follows Government approval of the first tranche of a Ministry of Defence-led project, which received $100 million in funding as part of Budget 24.

Tranche one covers the purchase of the vehicles, spare parts, computing and communications equipment, support equipment, project costs, and introduction into service costs.

Chief of Army Major General Rose King, who was the official witness to Wednesday's contract signing, said the new vehicles represent a significant improvement in Army's capabilities, and will provide soldiers with a robust and versatile vehicle for combat, disaster relief, and general training scenarios.

"Both the Unimog and Pinzgauer vehicles have served Ngāti Tūmatauenga well over the years - they have rightly been described as Army's workhorses - but their retirement from service is overdue. And so, it is with great excitement that we will see the start of the replacement of these essential platforms," said Major General King.

"These new vehicles will make our people safer, their jobs easier and improve our effectiveness across a variety of scenarios, and I can't wait to see them up and running here in Aotearoa."