The New Zealand Defence Force has finalised a sale of 22 surplus New Zealand Light Armoured Vehicles (NZLAVs) to the Chilean Navy for use by their Marine Corps.

The sale is worth US $19.855 million and the vehicles will be shipped to Chile in two tranches, one this year and one in 2023. 

Commander Defence Logistics Command, Commodore Andrew Brown, said it was pleasing to get a sale negotiated for the vehicles.  Eight more NZLAVs remain on the market to sell. The prospect of a sale to the Chilean Navy has been under consideration and negotiation for over two years,  with a number of NZ and foreign government consents required before any sale could be finalised.   

The NZDF bought 105 NZLAVs in 2003. One was written off after being badly damaged in Afghanistan and one is being used in Canada as a test vehicle. 

Commodore Brown said the remaining NZLAVs, numbering 73, will continue in service with the NZ Army. 

Analysis undertaken during the Defence Assessment process in 2008-09 concluded that the Army had more NZLAVs than necessary to fulfil Government-directed outputs. In 2012 the Government determined that the number of NZLAVs be reduced, and that 20 would be made available for potential sale. The number for sale was later increased to 30 in 2019.

The Chief of Army, Major General (MAJGEN) John Boswell, said the NZLAV fleet continues to be critical to Army’s ability to provide the New Zealand Government with a combat capable military response option for use alongside our allies and partners.

MAJGEN Boswell said the sale still allows the Army to maintain a range of capabilities and offer a number of potential deployment options including domestic disaster response, regional security missions, peacekeeping through to combat operations.

The NZLAVs were built in Canada by General Dynamics Land Systems. The sale to the Chilean Navy was brokered by Canadian Commercial Corporation, a Canadian Government organisation that supports international trade arrangements.