KEY POINTS:
For the first time in more than 30 years New Zealand soldiers will carry shotguns which can be loaded with non-lethal ammunition to help quell civil unrest.
The army said it would buy Benelli M3 tactical semi-automatic shotguns for soldiers on stability and security operations.
The shotguns are capable of firing anything from bean bag to CS gas rounds to live rounds to deter rioters and other security threats.
New Zealand soldiers last carried shotguns in the Vietnam War.
Soldiers identified the need for shotguns after peacekeeping operations in East Timor and the Solomon Islands this year, Army News said.
"The problem we have in situations of civil disorder is that soldiers trying to keep the peace have got no response between voice control, 'stop, don't do that', and lethal use of their Steyrs (the 5.56mm rifles)," army small arms replacement project officer Major Gordon Benfell said.
Shotguns were also useful in populated areas. When loaded with smaller shot, a shotgun blast would not penetrate walls as readily as bullets, making it safer for non-combatants.
Maj Benfell said shotguns let soldiers safely breach buildings without risking civilian casualties.
"If we need to get immediate access to a building, we can take the door out without injuring people beyond the door who aren't necessarily combatants.
"If we were to breach a door with other weapons, anyone in the proximity beyond is in mortal danger as well."
The shotguns were to be delivered within a year and each army section would be issued with one or two.
- NZPA
