Army tanks struck by valve problem

Press, 4 July 1985, Page 2

Army tanks struck by valve problem

PA Waiouru The New Zealand Army has struck problems with oil-pressure release valves in its 26 Scorpion tanks. The light reconnaissance tanks were purchased from the British Alvis Company in 1982 at a cost of about $2O million to the Defence Department. The Army public relations officer, Major Mike Wicksteed, said yesterday that during the last few months a problem had developed in two-thirds of the tanks with the failure of an oil-pressure relief valve spring in their transmission. “The spring has proved to be too light for the rough terrain at Waiouru,” Major Wicksteed said. “At one stage 16 were off the road.

We now have 13 operational.” He said that after discussion with the British mnanufacturer a heavierduty spring was being installed at the Army’s Ist Base workshop at Trentham. “The manufacturer has supplied us with replacement spare parts and has airfreighted them to New Zealand at its own cost,” Major Wicksteed said. “In addition, they have lent us one of their engineers and he is now at Trentham showing defence people how to set up the repair line.” Major Wicksteed said he expected all the tanks would be operational again by the beginning of September.