New trucks for Army

For service in Canada--and thankfully not built in Canada (though there will be the usual industrial offsets); pity the story spins the other way:

VALCARTIER, Que. - Federal Defence Minister Peter MacKay defended Friday a $274-million contract awarded to a U.S.-based company for the purchase of 1,300 logistic trucks for the Canadian military.

MacKay painted the announcement as good news for the Canadian economy in difficult times, but was forced to acknowledge the vehicles won't be built in Canada.

Illinois-based Navistar Defence LLC won the contract.

"Let's keep this in perspective: this is one announcement on one contract for one vehicle that is necessary and it's timely," MacKay said, adding no Canadian company was able to meet all the requirements of the Canadian Forces.

The new fleet of all-purpose trucks, known as MilCOTS (Militarized commercial off-the-shelf vehicles), will replace the aging military trucks used to support operations by the Forces inside Canada.

The minister stressed that each dollar spent on the contract would generate a similar amount in economic activity within Canada. He said some component parts will be built in the country and that the maintenance will be carried out in Canada.

"We'll have mechanics working on these trucks. The supplies, the parts and the gas that are used in conjunction with the trucks will obviously be Canadian," MacKay said.

Representatives for Navistar said they are required by the contract to spend $274 million over the next seven years on goods and products from Canadian companies. For instance, the tires on the vehicles will be manufactured by Michelin in Nova Scotia [emphasis added, fancy that, Peter]...

He described the trucks as the workhorses of the Canadian fleet. They will be used in different capacities on bases across the country for the transportation of supplies as well as for military transport in the event of earthquakes, flood or landslides.

The new vehicles will partly replace those in use since the 1980s that are reaching the end of their service life. In the coming years, all logistic trucks will be replaced.

"This is an essential part of rebuilding our military," MacKay said.

The first vehicles will be delivered this summer and the entire fleet will be completed by August 2010.

The Canadian Forces in the Maritimes will receive 302 vehicles, Quebec 262, Ontario 398 and the West will get 338 trucks...

At least it looks as if there was a real competition (anyone know if there was more than one bid?); more on the trucks' role here. From the DND news release:

The commercial model designation for the MilCOTS vehicle is the Navistar 7400 SFA 6x6.

Actually the truck is from Navistar's International Division; the US Army uses them:

An International 7400 truck on the road in Afghanistan. The vehicle was part of the 2005 contract with TACOM.

Topic thread at Milnet.ca here. Meanwhile, there are still armour-protected trucks for service abroad that need to be contracted for. Project details here on the various types of medium trucks the army is acquiring.

Update: There was only one bidder--forgot my own post.