This is a list of equipment of the New Zealand Army currently in use. It includes small arms, combat vehicles, aircraft, watercraft, artillery and transport vehicles. The New Zealand Army is the principal land warfare force of New Zealand, a part of the New Zealand Defence Force. Since the ANZUS breakup and the end of the Cold War, the New Zealand Army has been deployed to a number of conflict zones, often as part of a coalition force or part of a United Nations peacekeeping operation.
A standard New Zealand infantry section consists of ten soldiers, divided into two five-men infantry fireteams. While equipment formations can be tailored as required by section and platoon commanders, infantry sections are usually issued with the following:[1]
See main article: Uniforms of the New Zealand Army.
| Image | Origin | Type | Calibre | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat Knife | ||||||
| M7 bayonet |  United States | Bayonet | — | [2] | ||
| Handguns | ||||||
| Glock 17, 4th gen | Semi-automatic pistol | 9×19mm Parabellum | Standard issue pistol.[3] | |||
| Assault rifles & Battle rifles | ||||||
| LMT MARS-LModular Assault Rifle System - Light | Assault rifle | 5.56×45mm NATO | Standard issue assault rifle.Adopted in 2015 to replace the Steyr AUG. Ordered in 2 different barrel lengths, and equipped with:
| |||
| M4 carbine | Carbine | 5.56×45mm NATO | [4] [5] [6] Used by New Zealand Special Air Service. | |||
| Precision rifles | ||||||
| LMT 308 MWS | DMRDesignated marksman rifle | 7.62×51mm NATO | Standard issue DMR.[7] Adopted in October 2011. Equipment
| |||
| Barrett MRAD Multi-role Adaptive Design | Bolt action sniper rifle | 7.62×51mm NATO (for training)8.6×70mm (operational calibre) | Introduced in 2018, replacement of the Accuracy International Arctic Warfare.[8] [9] [10] Equipment:
| |||
| Barrett M107A1 | Anti materiel sniper rifle | 12.7×99mm NATO | Introduced in 2018 [11] [12] | |||
| Machine guns | ||||||
| FN Minimi TR Known as "7.62 LSW Minimi" in NZ forces | Light machine gun | 5.56×45mm NATO | Standard issue Light Support Weapon in the Army since 1988.[13] Selected in February 2012 to replace the C9 LSW Minimi and will be known as the 7.62 LSW Minimi in NZDF service.[14] | |||
| FN MAG 58 | General-purpose machine gun | 7.62×51mm NATO | The Belgian FN MAG replaced the L7A2 variant of the FN MAG that was purchased in 1976.Used on vehicles as heavy sustained fire machine gun.[15] | |||
| Browning M2HB-QCB | Heavy machine gun | 12.7×99mm NATO | Used as heavy support weapon, mounted on vehicles, and some on tripods on some advanced positions. | |||
| Shotguns | ||||||
| Benelli M3 | Pump action shotgun | 12 gauge | [16] [17] [18] Introduced in 2006 | |||
| Grenade launchers and ammunition | ||||||
| M203 | Under-barrel renade launcher | 40×46mm LV | [19] Used with the
| |||
| Heckler & Koch GMG |  Germany | Automatic grenade launcher | 40×53mm HV | [20] | ||
| Anti-tank weapons | ||||||
| M72 LAW"66 mm Short-Range Anti-Armour Weapon" | Anti-tank rocket launcher | 66mm | 3200 in stock March 2021..A single shot disposable anti-armour weapon, | |||
| Carl Gustav M3"L14A1 Carl Gustav Medium Direct Fire Support Weapon" | Recoilless rifle | 84mm | [21] 43 in service as of June 2015[22] | |||
| Javelin MRAW "Medium Range Anti-Armour Weapon" | ATGM "Anti-tank guided missile" | 127mm | [23] | |||
| Model | Image | Origin | Type | Calibre | Number | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hirtenberger M6 | Infantry mortar | 60mm | 32 | [27] | |||
| Hirtenberger M8 | Mortar | 81mm | [28] | ||||
| L16A2 | Mortar | 81mm | 50 | [29] |
| Model | Image | Origin | Type | Calibre | Number | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L119 light gun | Field gun | 105 mm | 24 in inventory | [30] Ammunition used: US M1 | |||
| Ordnance QF 25-pounder | Ceremonial gun | 3.45-inch (87.6 mm) | 7 in inventory | [31] Retired from operational service in September 1977. The 25-pounder gun is used by the ceremonial saluting battery at Point Jerningham, Wellington for official events and official funeral gun carriage. |
| Model | Image | Origin | Type | Number | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Armoured vehicles | |||||
| NZLAV | Infantry fighting vehicle | 73 (+8 surplus) | Wheeled infantry fighting vehicle, a variant of the Canadian LAV III. Originally 105 NZLAVs, including 95 Infantry Mobility Vehicle (IMV), 7 Light Obstacle Blade Vehicle (LOB) and 3 Recovery Vehicle (LAV-R). In 2003 the New Zealand armed forces purchased 105 LAV (Light Armored Vehicle) from Canada, of which 102 were standard vehicles (LOB is a standard NZLAV with a bulldozer blade attached) and 3 were redesigned for recovery. In 2010 the government said it would look at the possibility of selling 35 LAVs, around a third of the fleet, as being surplus to requirements.[32] In 2012, 20 NZLAVs were made available to be sold, and in 2019 this amount was raised to 30. On 20 April 2022, New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) announced that they had sold 22 NZLAVs to Chilean Navy. After the sale to Chile, NZDF still had 8 NZLAVs in their inventory for sale. One NZLAV has been written off after being damaged in Afghanistan and one NZLAV is being used in Canada (source country for NZLAV) as a test vehicle. 73 NZLAVs remain in service with NZDF as of April 2022.[33] | ||
| Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle | Protected vehicle | 48 | The New Zealand Special Air Service operates five Thales Bushmasters designated the Special Operations Vehicle-Protected Heavy (SOV-PH) purchased from Australian Defence Force stock.[34] [35] The Army acquired 43 Bushmasters variant NZ5.5 to replace the existing fleet of armored NZLOVs (that is, armored Pinzgauer vehicles) with the last of deliveries arriving by August 22, 2024.[36] [37] [38] [39] | ||
| Transport vehicles | |||||
| Polaris MRZR | Utility Task Vehicle | 6 | The MRZR is a militarised version of the Polaris RZR recreational vehicle. It is diesel powered, fitted with run flat tires and an infra-red light to aid driving using night vision goggles.[40] Issued to the High Readiness Company of the 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (1 RNZIR)[41] | ||
| Supacat HMT Extenda"SOV MH - Special operations vehicle Mobility Heavy" | Special operations vehicle | 6 | The New Zealand Special Air Service operate an undisclosed number of Supacat HMT Extenda vehicles designated the Special Operations Vehicles-Mobility Heavy (SOV-MH) that entered service in 2018.[42] [43] The SOV-MH replaced the Pinzgauer Special Operations (MV-SO) vehicle. | ||
| Pinzgauer High-Mobility All-Terrain Vehicle | All-wheel drive vehicle | 321 | The NZ Army operates 321 Pinzgauer vehicles over eight variants to fulfill the Light Operational Vehicle (LOV) role.[44] They are currently being replaced under the Projected Mobility Project.[45] | ||
| Mercedes-Benz Unimog | / | Medium vehicle | 82 | Planned to be replaced under the Garrison Support & Training vehicle project. Used for support during the 2021 Canterbury Flooding. | |
| RMMV Medium and Heavy Operational Vehicle | Medium/Heavy vehicle Bridging Vehicle Heavy recovery vehicle | 197 | The NZ Army operates 194 MAN:[46]
The Rapidly Emplaced Bridge System provides a bridging capability to support the NZLAV.[48] | ||
| Mercedes-Benz Actros | Heavy vehicle | 4 | In 2010 New Zealand purchased 4 Actros to haul adjustable-width quad-axle low-loader semitrailers primarily for the transportation of NZLAVs (Light Armoured Vehicles). | ||
| Recovery vehicles | |||||
| RMMB HX44M - Heavy recovery vehicles | Illustration | Wrecker | 3 | Ordered in 2018, delivered in 2021, lift tow” capacity of 15 tons.[49] | |
| Engineering vehicles | |||||
| MAN / GDELS REBS Truck Rapidly Emplaced Bridging System | Illustration | Bridge laying vehicle | — | [50] | |
| JCB HMEE | p | 6 | In 2011 six JCB High Mobility Engineer Excavator (HMEE) combat tractors were delivered to the Army, they are operated in support of Combat engineers.[51] | ||
| CAT 938K | Track laying vehicle | 2 | Equipped with the FAUN M30H Trackway Dispenser.[52] | ||
| BPRV | Beach preparation and recovery vehicle | 2 | Based on Caterpillar D555 'forestry skidder'. In service with the Amphibious Beach Team, 5 Movements Company.[53] | ||
| Manitou MLT/MHT-X Series | Telehandler | at least 14 | Nine MLT-X 625 75HOne MHT-X 10130 (as of 2021)Four MHT-X 10230[54] | ||
| Support vehicles | |||||
| Nissan Navara | Support Vehicle | 30 | |||
| Mitsubishi Triton | Support Vehicle | 130 | [55] | ||
| Toyota RAV4 | Support Vehicle | ||||
| Yutong ZK6760 | Bus | 2 | 12 on order[56] | ||
| Iveco Daily | Ambulance | 12 | |||
| MAN TGM 15.290 | Fire truck | 1 | [57] | ||
| Scania P93 | Fire truck | 3 | |||
| Scania G93 | Fire truck | 2 | |||
| Volvo FL280 | Fire truck | [58] | |||
| International 1810 | Fire truck | 1 | |||
| Name | Image | Origin | Type | Number | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L3Harris AN/PRC-158 | Tactical radio | [60] | ||||
| L3Harris AN/PRC-160 | Tactical radio | |||||
| L3Harris AN/PRC-163 | Combat radio | |||||
| L3Harris RF-7850S | Combat radio | |||||
| AN/TPQ-49 LCMR"Lightweight Counter Mortar Radar" | Illustration | Counter battery radar | 4 | [61] |
| Name | Image | Origin | Type | Number | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quantum Vector VTOL | Tiltrotor UAV | Used for reconnaissance and fire correction by the Royal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery.[62] | ||||
| AeroVironment RQ-20 Puma | 1 | A single Puma is in operational service.[63] | ||||
| Skycam Kahu | Training and limited battlefield surveillance | at least 6[64] | Kahu was developed by the Defence Technology Agency. It served as a vehicle for technology development and enabled the NZDF to gain first-hand experience as an RPAS operator. Kahu has also been deployed operationally on a limited basis.[65] | |||
| Skydio RQ-28A | Reconnaissancequadcopter | Used for reconnaissance by the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment.[66] | ||||
| DJI Mavic Pro | Training and Experimentation Purposes | 26 | Used as a concept, training and experimentation platform to assist the army in assessing future use cases for UAS systems. These systems are used only in unclassified training space, never connected to the Internet or NZDF networks, and are not for deployment.[67] | |||
| DJI Phantom 4 | 1 | |||||
| Teledyne FLIR Black Hornet Nano | Micro aerial vehicle | Used for reconnaissance by the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment and New Zealand Special Air Service.[68] |
| Model | Image | Origin | Type | Quantity ordered | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Military vehicles | ||||||
| URO Vamtac ST5 ST5 |  Spain | Utility light armoured vehicle | 20 | Successor to the Unimog and the Pinzgauer.Ordered in November 2024 for €56 million.[69] [70] | ||
| Vamtac SK95 CK3 | Spain | Utility medium sized vehicle | 40 | |||
| Staff vehicles | ||||||
| Hyundai Ioniq | Electric Staff Vehicles | — | In efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, the army is trialing the electric Hyundai Ioniq, in addition to installing electric vehicle charging stations at Trentham Military Camp.[71] | |||
| Electric Utility Motorcycles | Illustration | — | Electric Utility Motorcycles | — | - UBCO electric bikes are currently being trialed by Battle Lab for the purposes of reconnaissance and surveillance, airfield security and other transport roles.[72] | |