Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps
The Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps is the overall umbrella grouping of Regular Force and Territorial Force units equipped with armoured vehicles in the New Zealand Army. The corps was formed in 1942 as the New Zealand Armoured Corps, before being given the Royal prefix in 1947. The RNZAC is second in seniority of corps within the New Zealand Army.
The Divisional Cavalry Regiment and the 4th Armoured Brigade were among the foremost NZ armoured units during World War II, though at home the 1st Army Tank Brigade was also established.
Although the RNZAC did not deploy one of its own units to the Vietnam War, from 1965-1971 RNZAC personnel served within other New Zealand and Australian units including artillery, infantry, command and support, and logistics. Several members served as tank crew with the 3rd Cavalry Regiment of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps, and 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment Two RNZAC pilots served with the Australian 161st Reconnaissance Flight.
During the 1990s, corps personnel contributed to the deployment of a mechanized infantry company group to Bosnia-Hercegovina for UNPROFOR as part of the NZDF Operation Radian.
Among the surviving Territorial Force units at the end of the 20th Century was the Wai/WEC Squadron, later the Waikato Mounted Rifles in Hamilton, and the fast-diminishing New Zealand Scots, also at squadron size technically but actually dwindling into single figures, in the South Island. The New Zealand Scots were finally disbanded in 2016.Current units
RNZAC personnel serve in:
Regular Force
- Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles
- Combat School
Territorial Force
- 4th Waikato Mounted Rifles - Armoured Reconnaissance
Equipment
The RNZAC is primarily equipped with two types of vehicle:
