Canada's Shopping List

The Canadian Military Journal outlines the policy progress on the projected acquisitions first mooted in 2008.

To this list, the government’s Canada First Defence Strategy document of 2008 added 15 “new surface combat ships” to replace existing frigates and destroyers, 10 to 12 patrol aircraft to replace the Aurora, 17 fixed-wing search and rescue (FWSAR) aircraft, 65 next-generation fighter aircraft to replace the CF-18, and a new Family of Land Combat Vehicles (FLCV).
Rolled out in greater detail on 8 July 2009, the $5 billion FLCV includes a medium-weight Close Combat Vehicle (CCV) to bridge the gap between current light and heavy armoured vehicles. The army will acquire 108 CCVs (with options for 30 additional vehicles), presumably something along the lines of the BAE Systems Hagglunds CV90 series, with an initial operational capability (IOC) of mid-2012.
The second FLCV component will provide 550 hard-worked LAV IIIs (and potentially 80 more) with an upgraded weapon system, powertrain, suspension, running gear and brakes, and additional armour. The project IOC is again 2012.
The third component, the Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicle, will supplement the existing Light Utility Vehicle Wheeled (the G-Wagon), and also replace the current Armoured Patrol Vehicle (the RG-31), and, intriguingly, the Coyote reconnaissance vehicle. The stated requirement includes 200 of the reconnaissance variant and 300 of the general utility variant, as well as an option for 100 additional vehicles (variant unspecified).
The fourth element of the FLCV includes 13 Leopard 2-based Armoured Engineer Vehicles (with options for five additional vehicles) and two Leopard 2-based Armoured Recovery Vehicles (with options for two additional vehicles). Also included in the fourth element are ‘dozer’ blades, mine ploughs, and mine rollers for the Leopard 2 main battle tank.

By: Brant