NZLAV

NZLAV
New Zealand Light Armoured Vehicle
Place of origin	Canada
Specifications
Weight	19.85 tonnes (21.88 tons) (Including add-on armour)
Length	7.54m (296 in)
Width	2.715m (112 in)
Height	2.874m (139 in)
Crew	3 (Driver, Gunner and Crew Commander) + up to 8 troops.
Armor	Add-on armour
Main armament	25mm M242 Bushmaster automatic cannon
Secondary armament	2 x 7.62mm MAG 58 machine guns (1 mounted coaxial to cannon and 1 mounted on turret), 8 x 76mm grenade dischargers.
Engine	Caterpillar 3126 HEUI 350 hp (260 kW)
Suspension	Hydropneumatic
Operational range	450 km (280 mi)
Speed	109 km/h (68 mi/h)

The NZLAV armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) is a variant of the General Dynamics LAV III which itself is a variant of the MOWAG Piranha IIIH 8x8. The New Zealand army purchased 105 vehicles in 2003. It was developed by Canada and is the primary armoured vehicle of the New Zealand military. The United States Army uses a very similar, more lightly armed vehicle, the Stryker, while the USMC has the visually similar and identically armed LAV-25. The NZLAV is an 8×8 wheeled armored vehicle with a 25 mm cannon, and can reach speeds of 109 kilometres per hour. The NZLAV - like the LAV III - is C-130 transportable.

Operational history

The vehicle is currently used by:

• 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment,
• Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles,
• 16 Field Regiment, and
• 2 Engineer Regiment.

The Combat School in Waiouru conducts all crewman courses, and tradesman courses are conducted by the Trade Training School in Trentham.

As at 13 August 2007, vehicles were issued to the units and schools in the quantities below:

• 16 Field Regiment: 3
• Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles: 19
• 1 RNZIR: 46
• 2 Engineer Regiment: 6
• Combat School: 22
• Logistics Executive: 1
• Trade Training School: 3

Four vehicles are assigned to a maintenance pool, and one vehicle is held in Canada for testing.

In May 2009 two NZLAVs were deployed to support police during the 2009 Napier shootings. They defended police while they retrieved a fallen officer's body.

In November 2009 it was announced that three NZLAVs would be deployed to assist NZSAS operations in Afghanistan, and they were up-armoured.^[1] In 2011 these three LAVs were moved to Bamyan to support the provincial reconstruction team there as they were no longer needed in Kabul due to reduced SAS numbers. Five additional LAVs were also flown to Bamyan. One has since been damaged by a road side bomb.

Twenty-eight NZLAVs were deployed in the aftermath of the 2011 Canterbury earthquake, primarily in security operations around the central business district and in relief operations across the city where they have been used for their night vision equipment and their mobility on the badly damaged roads.

Users

•  New Zealand
  • New Zealand Army - 105^[2]

Variants

A NZLAV in 2009

There are currently 3 variants in service with the NZ Army:

• 95 x Infantry Mobility Vehicle (IMV) - The standard vehicle used in cavalry, reconnaissance, and forward observer roles.
• 7 x Light Obstacle Blade (LOB) - An IMV fitted with a small blade for minor earth works and clearing of obstacles.
• 3 x Recovery (LAV-R) - Vehicle fitted with a TR200 winch and earth anchor for recovery operations.

A number of vehicles are fitted with laser warning receivers and TR80 self-recovery winches.

See also

• MOWAG Piranha family of vehicles
• LAV III: Similar vehicle used by the Canadian military
• LAV-25: Similar vehicle used by the United States Marine Corps
• Stryker: Similar vehicle family used by the United States Army as its Interim Armoured Vehicle
• Stryker Brigade Combat Team: The US Stryker brigades are intended to model C4ISTAR doctrines of Network-centric warfare

References

1. ^ Gower, Patrick (14 November 2009). "Army vehicles on Afghanistan mission". The New Zealand Herald. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10609245. Retrieved 1 November 2011. 
2. ^ "LAV III/NZLAV". Deagel.com. http://www.deagel.com/Wheeled-Armored-Fighting-Vehicles/LAV-III_a000316001.aspx. Retrieved 2009-09-22. 

External links

• New Zealand Army NZLAV specifications