New Zealand Operation Silver Warrior

dday

New Member
The largest New Zealand Army exercise to be held for some years begins later this week. Exercise Silver Warrior will see 800 personnel and over 250 military vehicles taking part in a number of different training situations across the lower central North Island.

The Taranaki, Wanganui and Manawatu regions will see the best the New Zealand Army has to offer, including 51 NZLAVs, the new Pinzgauer Light Operational Vehicle and elements from all areas of the Army. The exercise will run for two weeks.

Exercise Silver Warrior is designed to confirm that the Linton based 1st Battalion, designated as the New Zealand Army’s motorised battalion, has reached its directed level of capability (DLOC) milestone, an output required by the government. DLOC is the level of capability that the New Zealand Defence Force is funded to maintain in order to provide the government with options for the commitment of military forces.

1st Battalion have been training in section, platoon and company sized groups since 2004 when the NZLAVs were introduced into service. Exercise Silver Warrior will be the first time the Battalion has operated as a collective whole.

Major General Jerry Mateparae, Chief of Army, is in no doubt that the motorised battalion will achieve the milestone. “Exercise Silver Warrior will confirm to New Zealand that their Army has met the target to have a motorised battalion group ready to respond to the government’s requirements by the end of 2005.

The Battalion has been focused on training and developing the tactics, techniques and procedures for operating as a motorised battalion since 2004. Exercise Silver Warrior is designed to be challenging and test the battalion group in a number of different scenarios.

Exercise Silver Warrior could be seen as a trial game before the selection of the test team. In today’s complex threat environment, that test could be providing assistance with delivering humanitarian aid, undertaking peace keeping or peace enforcement activity, or conducting combat operations. Our job is to be prepared to not only successfully undertake all these responsibilities, but to be able to react to them simultaneously”.

Members of the public living or travelling in the lower North Island can expect to see large numbers of Army personnel and military vehicles throughout the Taranaki, Wanganui and Manawatu regions. The exercise has been planned in conjunction with local authorities and will be well controlled. Members of the public should expect little disruption during the two week period the exercise runs.
During the period 11-13 November 2005, a large number of New Zealand Army vehicles will be on SH1 in the Central North Island as the build up training begins for the Army’s largest exercise for some years, Exercise Silver Warrior.

Motorists will see large groups of NZLAV and the new Pinzgauer alongside the Unimog and other standard New Zealand Army vehicles. The move will be closely monitored by Military Police to ensure minimum disruption to drivers on the route from Linton to Waiouru Military Camp.

On 11 November a group of 60 vehicles will travel on SH1 between Linton and Waiouru Military Camps.

On 13 November a further group of 68 vehicles will travel between Linton and Waiouru Military Camps including 42 of the NZLAV.

Exercise Silver Warrior will run from 13 – 27 November and is designed to test the Army’s new motorised battalion in a number of different scenarios. Parts of the exercise will be conducted in the Lower Central North Island including the Manawatu, Wanganui and South Teriyaki regions.
 
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gf0012-aust

Grumpy Old Man
Staff member
Verified Defense Pro
The Kiwis must be running a bit lean at the moment - aren't they running a combined Ex off WA at the moment?
 

pepsi

New Member
I don't have much to add here because i don't know too much about this exercise, but i just thought i'd mention that there are some pics of the exercise here :

http://photobucket.com/albums/v128/chrisgee/Military/

Seems they started a bit of a fire with some of their rounds :gun, i can imagine there were some groups in NZ angry about that :D
 
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