Eight wheels are better than four.
Four wheel drives are all good and well.
For the serious off-roading, though, you want to get yourself an eight wheel drive. And what’s better than one 14-tonne armoured and armed eight-wheeled vehicle? One hundred and five of them. Prior to 1999, the New Zealand Army operated 103 light armoured vehicles (made up of 26 Scorpion Fire Support Vehicles and 77 M113 Armoured Personnel Carriers). But the versatility of the NZLAV (“Light” Armoured Vehicle) has done away with the need for separate FSV and APC vehicles, allowing fire support and mobility capabilities to come solely from the NZLAV. As an armoured vehicle, it is an excellent multipurpose vehicle for peace support operations and mid-level (intensity) conflicts. In the cavalry role, the NZLAV has a crew of ten: three mounted crew members and seven infantry soldiers (plus all their equipment). It is armed with a 25-millimetre cannon in the turret and two 7.62-millimetre machine guns. And when the terrain gets really rough, the central tyre inflation system (CTIS) allows the tyre pressure settings to be automatically changed from between 18 psi (emergency setting) to 81 psi (road setting). When tyres are damaged, the NZLAV has “run flat” inserts, which enable the vehicle to be driven for 40 kilometres with all of the tyres on one side flattened or eight kilometres with all eight tyres flattened. It can still be driven if it has a wheel blown off each side. All in all, this beast of a vehicle is fast, well-armed and well protected, and enables the Army to securely transport deployed personnel in high-risk situations.
Ask that of your average SUV – I think not.
Manufactured by General Dynamics Land Systems – Canada (GDLS-C), their basic LAV III has been honed for New Zealand Army requirements. Versions of the LAV III are in service with armies in Canada, the United States, Ireland, Denmark, Spain, Qatar and Oman. Altogether, there are about 5,200 in service around the world. New Zealand’s version includes a fully integrated weapons platform with state-of-the-art sighting, navigation, and fire and control systems. The fire control system and stabilisation (fire on the move) capability are a giant leap in technology and capability compared to the M113s. Powered by a 260 kW, six-cylinder turbo-charged Caterpillar diesel engine, which is connected to a six-speed automatic transmission and two-speed transfer case, the LAV can travel on tracks and off-road – the legal speed for public roads is 90 kilometres per hour, however, the NZLAV is capable of speeds in excess of 100 kilometres per hour.
New, one of these will set you back three million dollars.
The NZLAV crew (consisting of driver, gunner and crew commander) are part of the Army trade of “Crewman” – one of 29 trades offered by the New Zealand Army. Crewmen are trained to fight from within the NZLAV armoured vehicle and are trained in the skills of mounted reconnaissance (that’s an army term). This involves working under pressure in confined spaces by day or night, in all weather conditions over varying terrain anywhere in the world. After completing Recruit Training and Infantry Corps Training, Crewmen complete the NZLAV Gunners Course and spend one to two years in this role prior to training as a NZLAV driver (after gaining a Class 4 HT license and DG endorsement). Eventually, Crewmen will also be trained as Crew Commanders and may be employed as instructors at the NZLAV Wing at the Combat School in Waiouru.
If you want to find out more about the NZ Army and the trade of Crewman, check out
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