We have been receiving reports regularly from our readers that the New Zealand Army is updating its individual equipment but the Army itself issued a great poster detailing the features of the new Soldier Survivability Gear.
According to Chief of the Army MAJ GEN Rhys Jones, “There are currently 790 New Zealand Defence Force personnel deployed on 14 operations, UN missions and defence exercises in 10 countries around the world.†The NZ Army began issuing the equipment to these troops in October and much of it would be familiar to Soldier Systems Daily readers. In addition to the SOCOM issued BAE RBAV and BPG Serpa holster, the Kiwis are also receiving the Camelbak Trizip based on a Mystery Ranch design. Additionally, they are being issued Camelbak gloves, Streamlight Sidewinder lights, ESS ballistic glasses, Revision ballistic goggles, Garmin GPS. The only item that you would have trouble finding here in the US is the Rabintex helmet.
•The new advanced combat helmet is 0.5kg lighter than its predecessor, has an internal mounting system that makes it more comfortable to wear and allows greater functionality with ballistic glasses or communications equipment.
•The improved body armour (IBA) provides enhanced ballistic and fragmentation protection and is now sized to the individual rather than one-size-fits-all. The IBA also includes side, groin and bicep protection should it be required by the wearer and has a modular webbing system so soldiers can customise the pouches they attach directly to their webbing.
•The IBA is fully modular and also has a quick release system to enable the user or another person to discard the vest quickly if the user is injured or submerged in water.
•The improved patrol pack is ergonomic in design, has an adjustable, removable back comforter and is adjustable for height.
•The Revision Desert Locust ballistic goggles were selected as they offered the greatest durability and functionality. These protect the wearer against blast fragmentation and other non-ballistic threats whilst also protecting the eyes from wind, sand, dirt and snow.
•New individual general purpose torch: The Sidewinder stood out as the individual torch choice as it is small, light-weight and has excellent functionality. It provides four types of light: red, blue, white and Infra-red. It has four levels of brightness on each including a strobe function. The torch also comes with a helmet mount so that it allows a hands-free operation. With the IR function it significantly improves the local area illumination when used with an night vision goggles.
•Improved individual GPS: The Garmin 60cX GPS is a unit that provides a cheap but very functional GPS. The Garmin provides colour mapping and new maps can be downloaded via the internet as required. The users found it easy to operate and accurate as an individual navigation aid for tactical commanders.