Armoured vehicle upgrade and acquisitions

Interesting that there in no mention of procuring LAV-Hs, which earlier had been thought possible. Note also the much larger number of "close combat vehicles" than the 20 or so previously mentioned (see immediately preceding link for details on one possible vehicle). A CP story:

Ottawa to spend $5B on combat vehicles [of course such vehicles are also useful for other sorts of missions such as, er, peackeeping--hell our Leopard 1 tanks were deployed to Kosovo, see (outdated) fourth para here]
Money to buy new vehicles and upgrade LAV-3s already in Afghanistan

OROMOCTO, N.B. – The federal government is spending $5 billion to upgrade the Canadian army's combat vehicles, including improvements for its existing light armoured vehicle fleet.

At an announcement Wednesday at CFB Gagetown, Defence Minister Peter MacKay said about $1 billion of the money allocated for the program will be spent to upgrade the LAV-3s that are now in service in Afghanistan.

The government is also buying close combat vehicles, tactical armoured patrol vehicles and force mobility enhancement vehicles.

But MacKay did not announce that the government is purchasing the next generation of light armoured vehicle, known as the LAV-H, which had been anticipated.

The LAV-3s have been the army's principle fighting vehicle in Afghanistan, but have taken a beating, with many in need of a major overhaul by the time the combat mission ends in 2011 [see "More" at middle of this post].

Lt.-Gen. Andrew Leslie, chief of the land staff, said the next generation of land combat vehicles gives the army the flexibility it needs.

"These vehicles will provide the army with the modern and robust equipment needed to fulfil its role in today's increasingly dangerous operating environment," he said in a news release. "They will also ensure that we are ready to take on the challenges of the future."

The money will be spent to upgrade 550 LAV-3s, with an option to upgrade another 80.

The military is purchasing 108 close combat vehicles, with an option to buy 30 more; and 500 tactical armoured patrol vehicles, with an option for 100 more [emphasis added].

In a news release, MacKay said the announcement is part of the government's Canada First Defence Strategy and the purchases will create jobs in both the manufacturing and maintenance of the vehicles [the LAV III work will be done by General Dynamics Land Systems at London, Ont.--see "Programs" at left and go to AFV].

"In addition to a renewed commitment to domestic security, this defence investment creates jobs, brings economic benefits to Canadian industry, and creates and sustains long-term employment for Canadians."

Contracts are expected to be awarded for 2011 and the military will start using the new vehicles by 2012.

The government says it expects the entire fleet to be fully operational by 2015.

More at this post, with some details on the tactical armoured patrol vehicles. Now what about signing the contract for new CH-47Fs, also mentioned at the preceding link? And I'll be gobsmacked if all four vehicle contracts are awarded by 2011 given the government's procurement, er, peculiarities. How much manufacturing in Canada will be done for the non-LAV vehicles, and how long will that take to arrange (note the "potentially" below)?

From the official news release:

...
The Family of Land Combat Vehicles (FLCV) projects, valued at approximately $5 billion, including an estimated $1 billion to upgrade the current fleet of Light Armoured Vehicles (LAV) III, will deliver the next generation of land combat vehicles, providing the Army with a flexible, multi-purpose capability that will enable the Canadian Forces to respond effectively and successfully to the full spectrum of military operations. The renewal of land combat vehicles is a key commitment of the Canada First Defence Strategy...

As part of this initiative, the current fleet of LAV III vehicles will be upgraded and three new fleets of land combat vehicles will be acquired, including Close Combat Vehicles (CCV), Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicles (TAPV), and the Force Mobility Enhancement (FME) vehicles...

All FLCV projects are now entering the definition phase, which analyses procurement strategies and specific requirements. As part of this phase, the Government of Canada will partner with General Dynamics Land Systems – Canada (GDLS-C) to develop a solution for the upgrade of the LAV IIIs. When this contract is awarded, it will generate significant early economic benefits to the country, including sustaining employment

The four projects will deliver significant economic benefits across Canada, with Canadian firms potentially [emphasis added] participating in the manufacturing and assembly of vehicles as well as the engineering and support services over the next 25 years as part of long-term in-service support contracts...

The Department of National Defence works closely with Public Works and Government Services Canada and Industry Canada to develop strategies for major defence procurement, ensuring that Canadians get best value for money spent, and maximum benefits to industry [ah, those "peculiarities"].

The Industrial and Regional Benefits (IRB) Policy, administered by Industry Canada, will be applied to all projects. Winning contractors will be required to undertake business activities in Canada at 100% of the contract values. This means that one dollar of economic activity will be generated in Canada for every contract dollar awarded...

The next steps for the CCV, FME, and TAPV projects will be the publishing of a combination of solicitations of interest qualification (SOIQ), requests for proposal (RFP), letters of interest (LOI) or price and availability (P&A) on the MERX site in the coming weeks. The Canadian Forces will start using the new land combat vehicles by 2012 [emphasis added, good bloody luck for all of them], with a fully operational fleet intended for 2015.

Backgrounders:

Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV) III Upgrade Project

...
The LAV III Upgrade project will upgrade 550 vehicles with an option for an additional 80 [that would be almost all the current fleet]. Initial operational capability is scheduled for 2012.

The project will now enter the definition phase to determine the scope of the work to be done. General Dynamics Land Systems–Canada (GDLS-C), the original equipment manufacturer, will be awarded a contract to conduct this definition work and will also be selected to implement the upgrades [emphases added--what, do competitive process?].

Close Combat Vehicle

...
Unlike the other vehicles in the Family of Land Combat Vehicles, the CCV is not replacing a vehicle in the current Canadian Forces fleet. Instead, the CCV will bridge the gap between light armoured vehicles (five to 20 tonnes) and heavy armoured vehicles (more than 45 tonnes), coming in between 25 and 45 tonnes.

The CCV will allow infantry to operate in intimate support of the Leopard 2 tanks, providing the Army with a more balanced and integrated fleet. This vehicle’s reliable protection and enhanced mobility and firepower will improve our troops’ combat effectiveness on the battlefield of today and tomorrow...

The procurement process will be a competitive military off-the-shelf approach [emphasis added].

The tracked CCV really will be a significant enhancement in the capabilities of the Army's armour.

Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicle

The Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicle (TAPV) is a general utility combat vehicle that can fulfill a variety of roles on the battlefield, such as reconnaissance and surveillance, command and control, and cargo and armoured personnel carrier. The TAPV will provide both a very high degree of protection to the crew while remaining highly mobile. The TAPV is designed to tackle tough terrain, providing troops with a cross-country capability to give greater flexibility in choosing routes.

The TAPV will replace the Armoured Patrol Vehicle (RG-31), the LAV 2 (Coyote only) and will complement the Light Utility Vehicle Wheeled (G-Wagon).

There will be two variants of vehicles procured under this project. The first is the reconnaissance (recce) variant, which will replace the Coyote reconnaissance vehicle. The Recce variant will have a crew of four and will be equipped with either a one-man turret or a Remote Weapon Station (RWS). The second variant, the general utility vehicle, will be the new armoured personnel carrier [emphasis added]. With a crew of three, the vehicle can carry an additional four equipped passengers and will be fitted with a RWS.

The TAPV project will procure 500 vehicles with an option for an additional 100. Specifically, the Canadian Forces will acquire up to 200 of the Recce variant and up to 300 of the general utility variant [emphasis added]. Deliveries will begin in 2012 and initial operational capability is expected a year later.

The procurement process will be a competitive military off-the-shelf acquisition [emphasis added]...

Force Mobility Enhancement

The Force Mobility Enhancement (FME) project includes the acquisition of a fleet of Armoured Engineer Vehicles (AEV) that will provide crucial support to the Leopard 2 tanks, LAV III, and future fleets, such as the Close Combat Vehicle and the Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicle. The project will also install tactical mobility implements on the fleet of Leopard 2 main battle tanks.

The first phase of this project is to acquire Armoured Engineer Vehicles (AEV). The ability of these vehicles to operate under heavy fire will further enhance the Canadian Forces’ mobility and deployability in a wide range of missions. This phase will also acquire Armoured Recovery Vehicles (ARV) in support of the AEV.

The AEV ensures troops have a clear, safe path to navigate by clearing mines, debris and other obstacles, filling in craters and providing limited road maintenance and construction. As the new fleet of AEV will use a Leopard 2 tank chassis [emphasis added], they will have a high degree of crew protection and will continue to be an integral part of any armour deployment.

The new AEV will replace the Canadian Forces’ aging fleet of Leopard 1-based Armoured Engineering Vehicle (AEV) Badger fleet. The new fleet of AEV will be capable of supporting the Leopard 2 main battle tank fleet until 2035. FME will procure 13 AEVs, with options for an additional five vehicles.

The second vehicle, the ARV, is like a tow-truck for a tank or other large, armoured vehicle. The ARV is able to recover vehicles from the battlefield while under fire, thanks to its high degree of crew protection. This vehicle will also use a Leopard 2 tank chassis [emphasis added] as a basis and will be acquired by exercising contract options from the Tank Replacement Project. FME will procure two ARVs, with an option of an additional two...

The procurement process will be a competitive military off-the-shelf acquisition [emphasis added]...

Update: See about half-way down this post at Milnet.ca for more details on the TAPV and read on for some informed comment.