08 ARMYEXERCISE
ADVANCE ON THE BEACH The Defence Force’s amphibious warfare capability takes a leap forward as we test our latest beach vehicle during Exercise Joint Waka at Whangaparaoa. Navy Today editor Andrew Bonallack joined HMNZS CANTERBURY and 5 Movements Company to watch the action.
The concentration is evident on the face of Omar Statham, contractor for plant machinery company TerraCat, as he stands near the cab of his company’s latest innovation for the New Zealand Defence Force. He’s in the cargo deck of HMNZS CANTERBURY, wearing a life jacket and fluoro vest and staring at the open stern ramp and the expanse of choppy water between the anchored ship and Army Bay, Whangaparaoa. The ship is all action, readying for the amphibious landing phase of Exercise Joint Waka. There’s a lot of “if you don’t need to be here, move back to that line”. Mr Statham will drive a substantially adapted 18.2-tonne CAT 555D Forestry Skidder from the cargo deck to one of CANTERBURY’s Landing Craft Medium (LCM), once it’s married to the stern ramp. The huge skidder, named the Beach Preparation and Recovery Vehicle (BPRV), has never been to sea and has never done this manoeuvre. “Nice and slow”, were the closing words from the ship’s Executive Officer in the briefing the night before. It’s unlikely Mr Statham needs reminding. So he stares at the exit, and plenty of sailors and soldiers do as well, making pessimistic comparisons with the gap between two steel blocks on the stern ramp – buffers for the LCM’s ramp – and the substantial four-metre wheel base of the BPRV. We’re told there is enough room – 65mm clearance on either side – and that was only made possible by putting on slimmer tyres than usual. But to a casual observer it doesn’t look doable.
The BPRV, one of two, is the culmination of nearly three years of planning and engineering by the Defence Force’s Capability Branch and TerraCat. Forestry skidders are used to push and drag logs, and it’s those strength elements that make the 275hp BPRV so useful, says Warrant Officer Class 2 John Flintoft. In a Humanitarian and Disaster Relief (HADR) situation, such as a Pacific Island damaged by a hurricane, the BPRV can be deployed ashore to “smooth the way”, pushing a path through cyclone debris and towing heavy items clear. A forestry skidder normally has a massive grappling hook at one end, but it’s not needed for a BPRV. “What we’ve done is re-engineer this, to suit the task. There’s a big 18-tonne winch at the rear, and a 13-tonne winch at the front. You drive it using joy sticks. Young operators pick it up really easily. It can be used in 1.5 metres of water.” The driver can rotate the seat so that front becomes back, and camera screens in the cab provide views of blind spots. It includes a 360-degree view of the entire vehicle from directly overhead. Above the driver is an escape hatch, should the vehicle ever roll over. Waiting behind the BPRV in the cargo deck is another behemoth, the CAT 938K loader with a FAUN trackway dispenser attached to the front. Also one of two, it was first-phase vehicle in the overall Logistics Over The Shore (LOTS) project that Capability Branch started in 2015. Unlike its newer cousin, it has been used by CANTERBURY before.
