Spanish heavy vehicle manufacturer URO Vehiculos Especiales has secured a contract from the New Zealand Ministry of Defence to deliver 60 new VAMTAC ST5 light and CK3 medium-sized unarmored utility vehicles starting in 2027.
According to Wellington, the new order will replace the nation’s aging Unimog and Pinzgauer vehicles, which are currently used for domestic training and overseas operations.
Sarah Minson, deputy secretary of defense for capability delivery, described the contributions of the Unimog and Pinzgauer fleets to the New Zealand Defence Force’s military operations.
“The operational utility vehicle fleet has long been the backbone of NZDF land operations, deployed to transport personnel and critical equipment during stability and security operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions, and search and rescue deployments,” she said.
Modern Capabilities
Maj. Gen. Rose King, New Zealand Army chief, said the new unarmored utility vehicles will help improve the armed forces’ capabilities in responding to various situations.
“They will be equipped with communications systems, which will continue to provide interoperability with our partners who use similar platforms,” the general said. “The carrying capacity of the new vehicles — with the medium variant able to load nearly 4 tons of equipment or up to 10 personnel, and the light variant up to 1.7 tons — is also really impressive.”
The new heavy vehicles are the NZ government’s latest investment in modernizing the country’s defense capabilities. In October, it contracted NATO Helicopter Industries, a partnership between Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo Helicopters and Fokker Aerostructures, to upgrade the software and hardware of its NH90 helicopter fleet.