Driving training turns heads as army vehicles roll into Napier

Four New Zealand Light Armoured Vehicle's conducted a Driver and Maintenance course in Napier on Tuesday. Photo / Paul Taylor

No, it wasn't an invasion.

A convoy of four light armoured vehicles was spotted rolling into Napier via State Highway 2 on Tuesday evening as part of army training on how to drive them on New Zealand roads.

A New Zealand Defence Force spokeswoman said the New Zealand Army was doing a driver and maintenance module of the New Zealand Light Armoured Vehicle (NZLAV) crew commanders course in Hawke's Bay.

The eight-wheeled, eight-passenger vehicles weigh between 19 and 21 metric tonnes, depending on configuration, and can be operated on and off-road.

"The course assesses a student's ability to command the driver to safely operate the vehicle," the spokeswoman said.

"This includes testing the crew commander in commanding the NZLAV in off-road environments and on New Zealand roads."

The vehicle travelled from the New Zealand Army Combat School Mounted Operations Wing at Linton Camp in Palmerston North, according to the NZDF spokeswoman.

The NZLAV, which can cross rivers and streams up to 1.5 metres deep, comes equipped with a lethal arsenal of weapons and systems and is currently fielded within the Canadian Army, US Army, US Marines and the Australian Defence Force.