The Torch: More on new armoured vehicles

Further to this post, a comprehensive piece from Defense Industry Daily (via Galea Hortus):

Canada Looks to Upgrade Its Armor

In late November 2008, Canada’s Department of National Defence (DND) announced its intention to combine 3 programs into one general set of upgrades to its armored vehicle fleets. The C$ 5 billion (about $4.3 billion) meta-program would include (1) a “close combat vehicle,” in order to perform as a tracked Infantry Fighting Vehicle or Armored Personnel Carrier alongside Canada’s new Leopard 2A6 tanks; (2) a new “Tactical Armored Patrol Vehicle”; and (3) upgrades the existing LAV-III wheeled APC fleet. In July 2009, A 4th project was added to field dedicated Armored Engineering Vehicles based on the Leopard 2, along with engineering-related attachments for Canada’s new Leopard 2 tanks [more on those tanks' tribulations here] .

LAV-III: stuck
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The “Close Combat Vehicle” appears to be the most urgent purchase, but the stated procurement approach isn’t structured to deliver urgency. As things stand, all contracts are scheduled to take effect after Canada is slated to end its Afghan mission. “Tanks for the Lesson: Leopards, too, for Canada” discussed the LAV-IIIs’ limitations in key terrain within Afghanistan, and keeping them in the field requires a lot of maintenance. Canada’s M113 tracked APCs have been used successfully as a supplement, but the Canadians appear to be leaning toward a heavier vehicle for their future CCV…

The Close Combat Vehicle
The Armored Tactical Patrol Vehicle
LAV-IIIs, and the RESET/RECAP Imperative
Updates and Developments
Additional Readings & Sources

The Close Combat Vehicle

CF M113, Afghanistan
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The CCV is not replacing a vehicle in the current Canadian Forces fleet. Instead, it’s meant to bridge the gap between 5t-20t light armoured vehicles and main battle tanks. A 2008 Ottawa Citizen report drove the mobility point home:

“Defence sources say the current LAV-3 does not have the mobility needed for the job in off-road conditions. The likely preferred option is to go for a tracked vehicle.”

Present plans call for 108 CCVs, with an option for up to 30 more. The procurement process will be a “competitive military off-the-shelf approach.” for existing vehicles, and a letter of interest and price and availability (LOI/P&A) is expected in summer 2009. The project’s definition phase will include a solicitation of interest and qualifications (SOIQ) and a request for proposals (RFP). A contract is expected by summer 2011, with initial operational capability (IOC) declared a year later in July 2012. Full operational capability is expected by July 2015.

The question is, what kind of tracked vehicle? DND says that is looking at options between 25t – 45t, which would encompass almost every IFV on the market.

Existing M113s could be upgraded with cage and/or explosive reactive armor, upgraded with a higher caliber turret or remote weapon system, and have their engines and transmissions upgraded to M113A3 or better status. Australia has taken this approach, absent the full explosive reactive armor protection required to defeat early model Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) anti-tank rockets. Canada ’s own M113 Life Extension Project has been underway since 2000, but its aim has mostly been to improve maintenance with new engines and transmissions, while converting most of Canada’s M113s to specialty support variants. This makes them less than ideal candidates, and at 12.3 tonnes, the base vehicle is underweight for Canada’s stated requirements.

Swedish CV90, Afghanistan
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At the moment, the preferred CCV choice appears to be BAE Hagglunds’ CV90 series. This popular armored vehicle comes in a number of variants, including IFV troop carriers with turret options ranging from 30mm-40mm, up-gunned 105mm and even 120mm assault guns and tank killers (105 or 120T), reconnaissance and forward observation (FOV), C2 forward command (FCV or COM), armored recovery (ARV), and a 40mm anti-aircraft model (AAV). Canada had expressed interest during the vehicle’s initial development, but backed out; a purchase now would make them its 7th customer, alongside Sweden, Denmark, Finland, The Netherlands, Norway, and Switzerland.

If Canada does purchase CV90s, there are rumors that it will adopt that same approach used to buy Leopard 2 tanks: immediate lease from an existing owner to get the vehicles into the field quickly, followed by a longer-term purchase or lease-to-buy arrangement [emphasis added]. Sweden would be the most likely lease owner candidate, and that country recently announced its intent to deploy its own CV90s to Afghanistan in light of a growing threat from RPGs.

Their decision was helped along by the fact that CV90s have been decisive for the Norwegians in 2 separate battles. In November 2007, CV90s saw heavy combat during Operation Harekate Yolo in Afghanistan, where they were used alongside outnumbered Norwegian 2nd battalion and Kystjegerkommandoen troops to beat down a Taliban attack on in the Ghowrmach district, near Mazar-e-Sharif. In May 2008, 2nd battalion used them during Operation Karez in Badghis Province. An attempted Taliban ambush used heavy machine gun fire and RPG volleys, which could have been devastating against unarmored or lightly armored vehicles. Instead, 2nd battalion used its CV90s to kill the ambushers. Norwegian casualties? None.

RAF CH-47 w. BvS10,
Afghanistan
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The other touted contender in press reports is the German Puma IFV, which is under contract but not yet operational. Canada would become the vehicle’s 2nd customer behind Germany, and this option offers no possibility of immediate bridging leases, or lease-to-buy arrangements from an existing customer.

BAE’s M2A3 Bradley IFV is another vehicle in that category, which would be available as rapid-delivery vehicles from the US Army and its Bradley remanufacturing lines. It has also been absent from press mentions to date.

Despite their successful use by British forces in Afghanistan, and the presence of Bv206 vehicles that performed well with the Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group during Afghanistan’s Operation Anaconda, the much lighter BvS10 all terrain armored vehicle falls below DND’s weight threshold, and has not been mentioned in reports to date. Canada appears to prefer a heavier vehicle with a demonstrated capacity to defeat RPG rounds, over the BvS family’s improved air and ground mobility.

The Armored Tactical Patrol Vehicle

RG-31 and G-Wagen
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The second program, for an Armored Tactical Patrol Vehicle, is more ambiguous. Canada currently operates 50-75 RG-31 Nyala “Armoured Patrol Vehicles” in Afghanistan, which have had some maintenance issues but performed well as route-clearance vehicles and convoy leads. A handful of heavier Cougar 6×6 and Buffalo vehicles currently round out Canada’s blast-resistant vehicle fleet, with 50 more on the way. They are accompanied by a large number of Mercedes G-Wagen vehicles, whose protection level is very low – far too low for deployment as a patrol vehicle in combat zones.

A DND Backgrounder says that the renamed TAPV will consist of 500 vehicles, with an option for another 100. An initial 300 TAPV General Utility Vehicle variants will replace the current RG-31 Armoured Patrol Vehicle. They will carry a crew of 3, plus 4 equipped passengers and a remote-controlled weapon (RWS) up top. Canada’s LAV 2 Coyote reconnaissance vehicles will be replaced with 200 TAPV reconnaissance variants, which will carry a crew of 4, plus a one-man turret or a RWS, in addition to extensible surveillance equipment. According to DND, TAPV will “complement” the existing Mercedes G-Wagen LUV-W.

The procurement process will be a competitive military off-the-shelf acquisition, and the key term will be whether the competition restricts the competition to combat-proven designs. A letter of interest (LOI) and price and availability (P&A) will be issued in summer 2009 to identify potential bidders, followed by a solicitation of interest and qualification (SOIQ) and a request for proposals (RFP). A contract award is expected by spring 2011, deliveries by 2012, and initial operational capability by 2013.

The ATPV could be Canada’s long-term MRAP buy of blast-resistant vehicles, replacing and supplementing its RG-31s. It could also wind up as something closer to the American/Australian JLTV competition’s lighter 7-10 ton vehicle set, with blast protection that compares with an RG-31, but far better off-road and urban mobility.

Time will tell.

LAV-IIIs, and the RESET/RECAP Imperative

Canadian LAV-III,
Afghanistan
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The 3rd vehicle program would involve Canada’s LAV-III fleet, which is being ground down by Afghan operations. An up-armoring program is underway for the existing fleet, but that fleet will eventually need to be RESET, remanufactured, or replaced. The Canadian Army adds that this problem is not unique to the LAV-III platform, as they grapple with the same vehicle wear issues experienced by the Americans, British, and Dutch. From the Ottawa Citizen:

“All of our equipment is either deployed, being reset, used in training or broken and waiting either labour or spare parts,” wrote army commander Lt.-Gen. Andrew Leslie in the January [2008] report.”

General Dynamics Canada, which manufactures the LAV-III for Canadian and American customers, has reportedly floated the idea of a LAV-H (Heavy) replacement that would incorporate a slightly v-hulled sub-floor for added mine protection, while raising the vehicle’s maximum recommended weight from 17.2t/ 38,000 pounds to 25t/ 55,100 pounds in order to cope with additional equipment and heavier armor.

The other option for the Canadian Forces is some form of full RESET program, similar to the efforts by the US Army to restore its vehicles to “zero mile” configuration. At present, the CASR think tank states that “All Afghan-deployed LAV IIIs must be rotated out for refit and repair every 12 months”; but this is more akin to depot maintenance than full disassembly and RESET.

In the end, the 2 may be combined. Canada’s LAV-III Upgrade Program officially aims to extend the fleet’s life span to 2035, which strongly implies a full RESET. At the same time, the program will add heavier armor, upgraded weapons, and mobility upgrades to the vehicles’ powertrain, suspension, running gear and brakes. This combination sounds a lot like General Dynamics Canada’s LAV-H, and the project will upgrade 550 vehicles, with an option for an additional 80. Initial operational capability is scheduled for 2012.
Updates and Developments

Canadian Parliament
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July 8/09: Canada’s DND makes a slew of announcements regarding its FLCS programs, including the CCV, LAV Upgrade, TAPV, and Leopard 2 engineering upgrades and AEVs.

Most of these programs are in the pre-RFP stage, except the C$ 1 billion LAV Upgrade project. General Dynamics Land Systems–Canada (GDLS-C), the original equipment manufacturer, will be awarded a contract to conduct that definition work, and has also been selected in advance to implement the LAV-III upgrades. DND overview announcement.

A political note is required. While 2011 lies within the term limit of the present Conservative Party government, it is a minority government in uncertain economic times, and Canada is currently set to wind down its Afghan mission in 2011. Until contracts is signed, therefore, each component of the FLCS program must be considered to carry varying degrees of political risk [emphasis added]...