NZ's elite SAS get vehicle upgrade

  • 06/09/2016
The Supacat Extenda (Supplied)
The Supacat Extenda (Supplied)

New Zealand's most elite fighting force, the Special Air Service (SAS), will be getting a number of new vehicle as part of an upgrade to their existing fleet.

Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee on Tuesday announced they've bought a number of Supacat Extenda high mobility vehicles, provided by Supacat Australia.

However, the exact number won't be revealed for operational security reasons.

The upgrade is a part of $28 million of funding approved by Cabinet last year to replace the existing Pinzgauer Special Operations fleet with four different kinds of vehicles.

The current fleet has been in use since 2005, and has been used extensively since.

"This experience, combined with the demands of contemporary missions and equipment, has led to the need to replace the Pinzgauers with a range of more modern vehicles that keep our elite Special Operations Forces at the leading edge," Mr Brownlee says.

The new vehicles are expected to be in use from the final quarter of 2017 and Supacat in charge of maintenance.

Newshub.