The arrival of the first batch of New Zealand’s new Bushmaster NZ5.5 protected mobility vehicles (PMVs) will begin the process of further integration between the NZ and Australian armies.
At the delivery event for the 18 Bushmaster PMVs at Trentham Military Base on 25 May, New Zealand Defence Minister, Andrew Little, told ADM that procuring the vehicles was important to operate effectively with other forces, “particularly Australia, who we work with a lot in the region and beyond.”
Under the Plan ANZAC Bilateral Service Cooperation Plan signed between the NZ and Australian armies in April there are plans to eventually field a New Zealand Motorised Infantry Battle Group within an Australian Army Brigade.
A total of 43 Bushmaster NZ5.5 vehicles are on order with manufacturer Thales Australia for NZ$102.9 million under the Protected Mobility Capability Project (PMCP) Phase One. The ADF already operates 1,052 Bushmaster PMVs, with another 78 ordered in May 2023.
The arrival of the first instalment of NZ Army Bushmasters was delayed by a few months and were originally intended for handover at the end of 2022. An NZDF spokesperson told ADM that the delay was due to “COVID-19 and supply chain issues.”
Another seven Bushmasters arrived in New Zealand on 26 May completing the delivery of the 25 troop carrying variants. A further ten Command and Control, four ambulance, two logistics and two maintenance variants are expected. The deputy chief of the NZ Army, Brigadier Rose King, told ADM that another batch was expected in the next six to eight weeks, with the handover of the final consignment due to take place by September.
Little said following that the vehicles will be tested and certified for use at Trentham Military Camp, before being sent to their home bases. The NZDF spokesperson said that the bases included Linton and Burnham Military Camps and the personnel operating the Bushmasters will come from Queen Alexandra’s Mounted Rifles [QAMR] regiment.
However, it might be some time before the QAMR will get to deploy with them. Little said that a new C4 communications system has yet to be installed that is consistent with the wider Network Enabled Army (NEA) programme.
Sarah Minson, Deputy Secretary, Capability Delivery at the Ministry of Defence told ADM that the new communications system must be able to integrate with the NZ Army’s Sitaware Battle Management System supplied by Danish company Sitaware as well as the systems of close allies like Australia.
A tender for the C4 system is expected by July with introduction of the new equipment expected in the 2025-26 timeframe. It means the Bushmaster cannot go on active operations until then and that the NZ Army’s existing armoured 60 Pinzgauer Light Operational Vehicle - which Bushmaster will replace - will remain in-service for some years. Although Brigadier King told ADM that future options for Pinzgauer disposal are under consideration.
In the meantime, an interim radio system will be fitted to some Bushmaster PMVs by the end of May to allow crew training to start.
“Because communications technology changes rapidly we want to make sure that when we make a procurement decision, whatever equipment we choose is in line with partners as much as possible,” Little said, “but in terms of the procurement we are very much dependent on the outcomes from the defence policy review [DPR].”
The first two parts of the DPR, the Strategic Assessment and the Future Force Design Principles are expected to be published by mid-2023. “This will set us up to make the next set of significant procurement decisions,” Little added.
Under PMCP Phase One the NZ Army is expecting to replace its existing Unimog trucks and 361 unarmoured Pinzgauer vehicles with 230 new utility vehicle – medium (UV-M) and – light (UV-L). A Request for Proposal closes in June with a decision expected in 2024.