New Zealand to procure VAMTAC utility vehicles

The VAMTAC CK3 medium vehicle has a wading depth of 1.5 m and measures 6.34 m in length. (New Zealand Defence Force)

The New Zealand Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed a contract with URO Vehículos Especiales SA (UROVESA) to procure the Spanish company's VAMTAC 4×4 high-mobility tactical vehicles for the New Zealand Army.

Under the deal, announced on 21 November, the MoD said UROVESA will deliver 40 VAMTAC CK3 medium vehicles and 20 VAMTAC ST5 light vehicles by 2027.

The procurement will constitute an initial tranche of a larger programme. The MoD said this first tranche was allocated NZD100 million (USD58.3 million) in New Zealand's defence budget in 2024.

It added the new vehicles will replace 25% of the New Zealand Army's fleets of Pinzgauer and Unimog vehicles, which it said have been in operation for close to 40 years.

First tranche

Huntley Wright, the MoD's assistant secretary of capability delivery, told Janes that this first-tranche funding includes the vehicles, spare parts, computing and communications equipment, installation, and introduction into service costs.

He indicated the new vehicles will be used for operations in New Zealand and overseas including “stability and security operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions, and search-and-rescue deployments”.

Chief of Army Major General Rose King said, “The carrying capacity of the new vehicles – with the medium variant able to load nearly four tonne of equipment or up to 10 personnel, and the light variant up to 1.7 tonne – is really impressive. Both variants perform really well offroad and the medium variant can operate in water up to 1.5 m deep.”

Request for proposal