Rule change forces NZDF tender for range clearances in Afghanistan

New Zealand Defence Force has issued a request for tender to carry out additional clearance of five firing ranges used by its Provincial Reconstruction Team in the Bamyan province in Afghanistan earlier this century.

FILE PHOTO (July 2011): A New Zealand soldier and NZLAV on patrol in north-east Bamyan province, Afghanistan. NZDF photo.

Tender documents were released on Friday 31 January 2020.

Land used by the NZDF Provincial Reconstruction Team was used by Russian and United States forces for live firing before the NZDF started operations.

NZDF operated the ranges for a decade – firing of non-explosive small-arms rounds, as well as some high-explosive rounds – until the Provincial Reconstruction Team finished its task in 2013.

When the NZDF Provincial Reconstruction Team withdrew from Afghanistan in 2013, it cleared the firing ranges in accordance with the standards of the time.

However, after the NZDF deployments finished, the International Security Assistance Force introduced a new standard for range clearance, which was then adopted by the Afghan Directorate of Mine Action Coordination – with New Zealand held responsible to go back and clean up the ranges to the new standards.

In the tender document the NZDF said it was seeking to appoint an internationally accredited commercial vendor or organisation, with the support of the Afghanistan Directorate of Mine Action Coordination, to undertake additional clearance of the five ranges in Bamyan province that the Provincial Reconstruction Team used for training.

The tender places greater weight on aspects such as health and safety, methodology and qualification of personnel involved than on price.

Tenders close on 3 March 2020.

NZDF is working to have a contract for the additional clearance signed by the end of March.

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