The first of the new armored combat support vehicles for the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) has been delivered. His set of four ambulances equipped for combat support.
press release The new armored vehicle was inspected by Defense Minister Bill Blair and Chief of the Defense Staff Wayne Eyre this week before it was formally accepted into the CAF.
“Members of the Canadian Armed Forces should be given the latest equipment to accomplish their mission. , will be able to support our allies,” Prime Minister Blair said in the release. “We thank the hundreds of Canadian workers who built these vehicles and reaffirm our commitment to investing in our military while creating good jobs for Canadians.”
This is the first set of vehicles under Canada’s contract to source 360 ACSVs from London, Ontario-based General Dynamics Land Systems Canada. The project was first announced in 2019, and the first delivery of the vehicle was scheduled to take place in 2025.
The fleet of 360 armored vehicles includes eight different types of vehicles to support various roles on the battlefield, including “troop transport, command vehicles, electronic warfare, mobile repair, and various combat engineering missions.” The release states that this is included.
The project will cost approximately $2.5 billion. The project will contribute $250 million to Canada’s GDP over eight years and support 1,975 jobs a year in London, according to the announcement.
The ACSV design is based on the Light Armored Vehicle (LAV) 6.0 currently in service with the CAF. The similarity in design is expected to reduce the training required for troops and make it easier to find spare parts for repairs.
Mr. Blair and Mr. Eyre inspected the new vehicles at Petawawa Garrison, Ontario, the first procurement site. A total of 49 ACSV ambulances will be delivered to bases across Canada “in the coming months.”
“These ambulances are much needed and will provide increased protection for personnel in the most critical situations, both domestically and internationally,” Eyre said in the release.
As of September, General Dynamics had created a total of 91 ACSVs for this project.
In September, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada would invest $650 million in new funding over three years to deliver 50 armored vehicles to Ukraine, also manufactured in London.
Canada has already donated 39 armored vehicles to support Ukraine in its ongoing conflict with Russia.