Multibillion-dollar program to replace and upgrade Canadian armored vehicles

The Canadian government has approved a multibillion-dollar program to purchase new armored vehicles as well as upgrade an existing fleet, helping the Army alleviate the growing problem of vehicles destroyed or worn out by the war in Afghanistan.At the same time, the government has reached an agreement with Boeing for the purchase of 16 Chinook helicopters, a process that has taken three years, sources said.The new armored fleets and the upgrades are estimated to cost about 5 billion Canadian dollars ($4.3 billion), Defence Minister Peter MacKay said July 8 at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, New Brunswick.MacKay said that of that amount, an estimated 1 billion Canadian dollars will be spent on upgrading light armored vehicles, known as LAV-3s, worn down by excessive use and rough Afghan terrain. General Dynamics Land Systems Canada, the builder of the LAV-3, will be the prime contractor and systems integrator for the program, which will upgrade 550 vehicles. The program includes an option for upgrades to an additional 80.Three new fleets of land combat vehicles also will be purchased, MacKay said: close-combat vehicles (CCV), tactical armored patrol vehicles and force mobility enhancement vehicles.The Army sees the CCV as bridging the gap between light armored vehicles in the 5- to 20-ton range and heavy armored vehicles, which weigh more than 45 tons. The CCV would be between 25 and 45 tons. The Army will purchase 108 of the vehicles with an option of acquiring up to 30 more.The Force Mobility Enhancement project includes the acquisition of a fleet of armored engineer vehicles to support Canada's Leopard 2 tanks.

Replace RG-31, Coyotes

The tactical armored patrol vehicle would replace the Army's existing fleet of RG-31 mine-protected vehicles and the Coyote wheeled light armored vehicles. The project will procure 500 vehicles with an option for an additional 100. There will be two variants, a reconnaissance vehicle and a general utility vehicle.Contract awards for the procurements are expected by 2011. Specific acquisition costs will be determined as the procurement process proceeds, according to Defence Department officials.The first of the new vehicles are expected in service by 2012.Military and industry sources also say an agreement has been reached on a 4.7 billion Canadian dollar project to purchase 16 Chinook F models from Boeing and provide support for the helicopters over 20 years.Marcia Costley, a Boeing spokesperson, referred questions about the Chinooks to the Canadian government.Jay Paxton, press secretary for MacKay, said the government has no announcement on the Chinook deal.In an interview in May, Richard Meanor, Boeing's manager of business development for international rotorcraft, said he expected a deal in place by the end of the summer.

Changing Requirements

Stephen Priestley, a defense analyst with the Canadian-American Strategic Review here, said it is not surprising that the Canadian order of F-model Chinooks took so long to finalize. He noted that the Canadian military has been continually changing its requirements and wanting alterations to the basic Chinook model to accommodate Canadian equipment and scenarios.The delivery of the first aircraft is planned for around 2012-2013.Because of the delays, the Canadian government last year purchased six used D-model Chinooks to deploy in Afghanistan. Those are operating out of Kandahar.Meanwhile, European, Canadian and U.S. defense firms are positioning themselves to bid on the new armored vehicle programs.BAE Systems will offer the tracked Hagglunds CV90 for the CCV program. Alan Garwood, BAE Systems' Group business development director, said in a May interview that the company is emphasizing a strong industrial package with as many as 60 to 70 domestic firms involved. Included among those is Dew Engineering of Ottawa, which upgrades tracked armored vehicles for the Canadian Army.Rheinmetall Canada also is eyeing the CCV program and could put forward the tracked Puma armored infantry fighting vehicle or the wheeled Boxer vehicle, depending on the Army's requirements, said Duncan Hill, the firm's director of government relations.Rheinmetall Canada, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, is offering the Kodiak, an armored engineering vehicle, for the recovery vehicle program. Hill said the firm, part of Germany's Rheinmetall, also will consider offering its remote weapon stations for the upgraded LAV-3.Textron Marine and Land Systems, Slidell, La., is looking at offering its wheeled Mobile Survivable Vehicle for the patrol vehicle program.

Posted in: Afghanistan,Armoured Vehicles,Fighting Al Qaeda and Taliban