Armoured Vehicle Project Under Way

The Army has taken its first step towards becoming a motorised infantry force with Government approval for the Ministry of Defence to invite tenders for the supply of new wheeled armoured vehicles.

The 24 Fire Support Vehicles and approximately 80 Infantry Mobility Vehicles would replace the Army's obsolete M113 Armoured Personnel Carriers and Scorpion light tanks, the Minister of Defence, Hon Max Bradford, said today at Trentham Army Camp.

The re-equipment programme will equip the Army with enough vehicles to motorise one battalion group and a company of its second battalion. Tenders will be released shortly and the vehicles should all be in service by mid-2002.

"The new vehicles will give the Army the ability to deploy and support a full battalion operating as part of a regional or coalition force, or to undertake peacekeeping or peace enforcement operations," Mr Bradford said.

"They will give our troops the speed, protection and mobility they have lacked up to now and will ensure that we can operate with the forces of our allies.

Mr Bradford said the choice of wheeled over tracked vehicles had been made after careful thought. They were more reliableover long distances and could be more easily upgraded over their 25-year service life.

The purchase was part of a $500 million programme which would re-equip the Army over the next five years, Mr Bradfordsaid.

The re-equipment programme includes new communications equipment (radios), heavy machine guns, anti-armour weapons, automatic grenade launchers, new reconnaissance vehicles and Land Rover replacements.

"By 2005 the Army will have new mobility, firepower, better protection for its soldiers, and much improved communications.

"It will be able to foot it at last with the forces of our friends and against - if it should ever come to that - our adversaries,"Mr Bradford said.

Tenders for the supply of 24 medium range anti-armour (anti-tank) weapons and 24 automatic grenade launchers had also been approved by Cabinet.

These weapons would equip two regular force battalions and the SAS for a variety of conventional land combat operations,Mr Bradford said.