New Zealand’s Secretary of Defence Helene Quilter has accepted the final vehicles of the new Medium and Heavy Operational Vehicles fleet (MHOV) from Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles Australia (RMMVA). RMMVA was awarded the contract to supply New Zealand’s armed forces with 194 vehicles and specialist trailers in April 2013.
The New Zealand Defence Force now owns one of the most modern and versatile logistic vehicle fleets with the latest automotive technology and significantly increased capabilities for his troops. The fleet comprises 6-tonne (4×4) 9-tonne (6×6) and 15-tonne (8×8) platforms in ten variants. All vehicles can be fitted with applique armour, weapon mounts and a communications fit whilst specialist vehicles are fitted with a range of mechanical handling equipment or bodies such as cranes palletised load handling equipment, load sensors and winches whilst specialist variants include dump trucks and tractor units.
New Zealand has deployed elements of the MHOV fleet to Australia via HMNZS CANTERBURY to participate in Exercise Talisman Sabre, the biennial combined Australian and United States training activity. New Zealand and Japanese forces will be taking part for the first time. The exercise is designed to train the respective military forces in planning and conducting Combined Task Force operations to improve the combat readiness and interoperability between forces.
RMMVA will be providing logistic support for New Zealand’s logistic trucks during this exercise.
Chief of Army, Major General Dave Gawn, said the MHOVs were a major leap forward in capability and technology for the NZDF.
“Across a range of employment contexts, the MHOV offers us a significantly enhanced logistics and movements capability as a land force for the future. Further to the normal troop and equipment carrying roles, additional vehicles are fitted with winches and cranes which will enable fully independent operations.”
Michael Wittlinger, member of the executive board of Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles, said “We welcome New Zealand to the user community of our high mobility logistic vehicle family. Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles prides itself on being a dependable supplier of an outstanding vehicles system and providing reliable customer support.”
RMMV is the Rheinmetall Group’s centre of excellence for military logistic and tactical wheeled vehicles. Rheinmetall is one of the world’s leading suppliers of defence technology, including wheeled and tracked military vehicles, weapons, ammunition, simulation solutions, command and control technology, force protection systems, sensors.