NZLAV primo on Aussie Ex
NZDF break in brand new vehicles in down under outback

One of 16 NZLAVS on deployment to Australia for Exercise Predators Gallop.Photo by Cpl Damian Shovell, Army newspaper

By Cpl Damian Shovell

IN UNDOUBTEDLY the boldest move on Exercise Predators Gallop, the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) deployed almost 300 personnel from 1 Bn RNZIR, including infantry, armour and support elements to exercise their new NZLAVs for the first time.

After arriving in Australia on July 1, and taking a few days to acclimatise in Darwin, the NZLAV Coy consisting of 18 NZLAVS, each with three man crews, deployed to Mount Bundy on July 5.

WO1 Jim Dawson, 1 Bn LAV Coy, said the first challenge was getting the crews working together in conducting individual training where they got to know each other and their vehicles before moving up to section level training and being joined by their infantry component on July 8.

“The crews that we brought over here have just finished courses and are brand new,” he said.

“The crew commanders just finished the 17 week course, they had four days off and then deployed to Australia.

“So they [crew commanders] hadn’t worked with their gunners or drivers before and had to get to know their crew first. They only had a couple of days with them before they started to work as a four-vehicle section.

“Then the infantry arrived and they had a very short period of time to get to know the vehicle and start the training.

“Most of the infantry platoon we brought over have M113 experience, we’ve also got a lot of guys that previously had no A-vehicle experience, and we’ve also got some infantry that have come across and become crewmen and done armoured vehicle courses. So it’s a real mix.”

“Basically [this exercise] was the first time for the infantry [to work with the NZLAV], they’d done a familiarisation course in New Zealand and this was the first time they’d hopped on the vehicles and worked out of the back.”

Within the NZDF, the NZLAVs will be employed in a motorized role, and are embedded within the NZDFs 1 Bn RNZIR as a LAV Coy. But for Predators Gallop, one section was deployed as a screen in a cavalry-type role, and the other two sections were employed in motorised roles.

“It was an interesting time [during the exercise], obviously we had been separate units up until now, and this is the bringing together of infantry and armour for motorisation. Overall I think it went very well – two different corps, two different jobs and they have come together and done one job.

“I think that with all things considered – the four weeks they’ve been together – they’ve certainly come together.”

WO1 Dawson said Predators Gallop offered an excellent opportunity to help develop their Training Techniques and Procedures, and Standard Operating Procedures and said that he looked forward to comparing notes with his 2 Cav Regt counterparts.

“There is certainly things we can link up on and work together and see if it works for us.”

The NZLAVs also worked with 1 Armd Regt and did live firing attacks with 2 Cav Regt, 1 Armd Regt and dismounted infantry during the Mount Bundy phase of the exercise.

“It was good for them because it was the first time that a lot of these guys would have been in that type of scenario where they had MBTs and infantry debussing out of the back and live firing going on.

“That was definitely a big boost for the boys and it might be a while before they do something like that again. So it was good for moral.

Tpr Darrel Hourigan finished his drivers course three weeks before deploying and said the NZLAV was having little difficulty trading the wet muddy hills of New Zealand for long dry grass and dust.

“ It was awesome, feeling the shockwave when they fire – it gives you a buzz knowing that you’ve got tanks next to you firing, it was primo.”