The New Zealand Defence Force announced on Wednesday 20 April the sale to the Government of Chile of 22 NZLAV 8×8 tanks equipped with Northrop Grumman M242 Bushmaster 25mm cannons for an amount of 19.8 million dollars.
The armored vehicles belong to the LAV III version built in Canada by General Dynamics Land Systems and is based on a license of the Mowag Piranha 8×8. The NZLAVs will be delivered to the Chilean Navy Marine Corps in two batches, one in 2022 and the other in 2023.
New Zealand acquired 105 vehicles for $653 million and the fleet entered service in 2003. The country determined in 2012 that it did not require 20 NZLAVs to be sent to Trentham Military Camp for storage pending a possible sale. This number would subsequently increase to 30 cars in 2019.
The process of buying and selling the 22 NZLAVs was negotiated by the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC), an organization in the North American country that supports international trade agreements.
The NZLAV or New Zealand Light Armored Vehicle is a highly mobile light armored vehicle used in the army of the country of Oceania in functions of reconnaissance and advanced observation. It has a length of 6.98 m, a width of 2.83 m, a height of 2.87 m and a weight between 19 to 21 tons depending on the configuration and is transportable by land, sea and air.