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Canada Upgrades Its Armor Force

July 13, 2009: Canada is spending $4.3 to upgrade its armored vehicles. Some $3.4 billion will buy as many as 650 new vehicles, to replace an aging armored force. These vehicles have not been selected yet, and won't begin showing up for three years. They will include a tracked Infantry Fighting Vehicle and a Combat Engineer Vehicle based on the Leopard 2. Meanwhile, $860 million will go for upgrades to current LAV (wheeled armored vehicles), mainly those serving in Afghanistan, so they can better deal with roadside bombs. This will include new electronics. These upgrades will also keep these vehicles in service for another 25 years. Nevertheless, some of the new vehicles to be purchased, will be more modern versions of the current LAV.

 

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LB    Update   7/13/2009 4:09:07 PM
From what I understand Canada wants 103, with an option for up to 30 more, IFVs.  CV90 has done well in Afghanistan and reportedly is favored with Germany's Puma also under consideration.   They want up to 500 patrol vehicles.  Something better than the RG-31s they operate.  This is a type of MRAP.
 
There is also a Force Mobility Enhancement program.  Basically purchase of armored engineer vehicles, some ARV's, and dozer blades, mine plows, and mine rollers for Leo II.
 
Lastly is the LAV III  upgrade program.  The political reality, however, is that Canada has stated it will withdraw from Afghanistan in 2011 and the Conservative party might not be around long enough to get all these contracts signed.
 
The interesting aspect is Canada is firmly convinced that it requires some tracked armored vehicles given Afghanistan has shown them the mobility limits of wheeled armored vehicles like their LAV IIIs; moreover, Canada never operated IFVs before and now wants a close combat vehicle, IFV, again based on combat experience.
 
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sinoflex    @LB   7/13/2009 5:20:25 PM
Here is some speculation that the exact wording regarding Canada's departure may actually infer a redeployment: link

At a minimum, Lt.-Gen Andrew Leslie the chief of land staff, has indicated the army needs a minimum one year operational break to reset. Noteworthy as well are comments from Defence Minister MacKay link:

But Mr. MacKay left open the possibility that Canada would still be active militarily in Afghanistan after 2011, albeit in some reconfigured form. "There is obviously an array of things that Canada can do post-2011," Mr. MacKay said. "Until we get closer to 2011 and assess what the security situation is in Afghanistan, that will impact directly on that reconfiguration."

Regardless, it's an amazing turnabout from 2006 when Canada was poised to dispose of its Leopard 1 tanks and purchase the Mobile Gun System. The Canadian public has thus far been very supportive of its troops that are dying on a regular basis, and there hasn't been much political opposition to military expenditures even with the recent purchases of C-17s, Chinooks, C130Js and M-777 howitzers. Hopefully this is a sign that the armour program will go as planned.

 
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