Back to news

January 14, 2019 | Local, Land

Fires and rollovers plague Canadian Army's $600 million fleet of new armoured vehicles

David Pugliese, Ottawa Citizen

he Canadian Army's new armoured vehicles have been plagued by rollovers and fires, the latest in a series of problems to affect the $600-million fleet.

Since April 2014, there have been 10 incidents when Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicles have tipped on to their sides, six where they have rolled over completely, and four where they have caught fire.

Pat Finn, the assistant deputy minister in charge of procurement at the Department of National Defence, told Postmedia there have been no serious injuries as a result of the incidents. But the problems are not the first to hit the Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicles or TAPVs.

The TAPV program has “experienced a number of significant technical issues, particularly affecting vehicle mobility,” then-defence minister Rob Nicholson was told in August 2014. There have been problems with the suspension, steering and other items on the vehicle, according to a briefing document released under the Access to Information law.

The technical issues significantly delayed the test program for the vehicles, the document added. “These accumulating incidents, which relate to the vehicle's ability to travel distances on medium cross country terrain, led the project office to conclude the existing testing could no longer continue.”

The Conservative government announced the TAPV contract in 2012 as part of its re-equipping of the Canadian Army. Canada bought 500 TAPVs from Textron, a U.S.-based defence firm, at a cost of $603 million. The TAPV is a wheeled combat vehicle that will conduct reconnaissance and surveillance, security, command and control, and armoured transport of personnel and equipment.

Finn said as a result of the various incidents further quality assurance tests are being done. “It's kind of high off the ground so it can be more agile,” he explained about the vehicle. “(But) it brings with it a high centre of gravity.”

“It may be it's about training and understanding the vehicle,” Finn added.

None of the vehicles have been written off because of the incidents, according to the Canadian Army. “Upon review of the major TAPV incidents, it has been identified that the most common contributing factors of these incidents tends to be human error due to limited familiarity time operating the vehicles,” the army noted in an emailed statement to Postmedia.

The army pointed out that investigations into the incidents did not reveal any design or mechanical faults. “Primary reports on the majority of these incidents (rollover and tip-overs) were attributed to a combination of factors, such as operator experience, the vehicle's high centre of gravity, weather conditions, and/or vehicle speed,” the email noted.

The army did not provide any explanation for the four fires on the TAPVs.

The army noted that it is considering limits on the speeds the vehicles can operate at as well as “rollover hazard mitigations” and “recommendations such as the use of new technology to enhance experience for new drivers and crew.”

The army did not provide further details on those new technologies or initiatives.

The TAPV project will cost taxpayers a total of $1.2 billion, which not only includes the vehicles but also includes the building of infrastructure to house them, as well as the purchase of ammunition and service support for the equipment.

The initial problems with steering and other issues delayed the delivery of the vehicles. After those were dealt with, the army had to contend last year with concerns about brakes and the distance the vehicles needed to stop. The TAPV is a heavy vehicle and requires longer stopping distances at higher speeds than most new drivers are familiar with, noted DND spokesman Dan Le Bouthillier in July 2018.

The fleet of TAPVs have been distributed across seven bases and 24 units throughout Canada. The Canadian army has said it expects to declare full operational capability by mid-2020, following training of all operators. TAPVs were first deployed in spring 2017 to assist communities affected by the flooding in Quebec.

dpugliese@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/davidpugliese

https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/fires-and-rollovers-plague-canadian-armys-600-million-fleet-of-new-armoured-vehicles

On the same subject

  • New Challenge: Covid-19 on Public Transport / Nouveau défi : Covid-19 dans les transports publics

    September 28, 2021 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

    New Challenge: Covid-19 on Public Transport / Nouveau défi : Covid-19 dans les transports publics

    New COVID-19 Challenge: Make Public Transportation Safer The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and Transport Canada (TC) are seeking retrofit solutions that reduce airborne hazards and improve air quality within the enclosed spaces encountered by bus and rail travelers in order to improve the resilience to airborne infectious diseases. Think you can solve our new COVID-19 transportation challenge? Compete for funding to prove your feasibility and develop a solution! This challenge closes October 25, 2021 at 2:00pm EDT. Apply online Nouveau défi COVID-19 : Rendre les transports publics plus sécuritaires Le Conseil national de recherches du Canada (CNRC) et Transports Canada (TC) cherchent des solutions de modernisation qui permettront de réduire l'exposition aux contaminants aériens et d'améliorer la qualité de l'air dans les espaces clos fréquentés par les usagers des autobus et des trains afin d'améliorer la résistance aux maladies infectieuses qui se propagent par voie aérienne. Vous pensez pouvoir résoudre notre nouveau défi de transport COVID-19 ? Compétitionnez afin de prouver la faisabilité de votre solution et de la développer ! Ce défi se termine le 25 octobre, 2021 à 14h HAE. Postulez en ligne

  • Government awards design contract for future fighter infrastructure in Cold Lake

    August 27, 2020 | Local, Aerospace, Other Defence

    Government awards design contract for future fighter infrastructure in Cold Lake

    August 27, 2020 – Ottawa, Ontario – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces As outlined in Canada's defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged, the Government of Canada is providing Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel with the facilities and tools to support their operations for the future. Today, the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of National Defence, announced a $9.2-million contract award to EllisDon Construction Services Inc., of Edmonton, Alta., for the design of a new fighter jet facility at 4 Wing Cold Lake, one of two main operating bases for Canada's future fighter aircraft. A second facility and contract award is also planned for 3 Wing Bagotville. Combined, this infrastructure will support the long-term maintenance and operation of 88 new aircraft being procured for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) through the Future Fighter Capability Project (FFCP). This contract is an important milestone in preparing Cold Lake for the future fighter, and it takes us one step closer to delivering the infrastructure our aviators need for the future. Both infrastructure projects will also provide significant economic opportunities for the Canadian construction industry, as well as the Cold Lake and Bagotville communities. In total, over 900 jobs are expected to be created during the design and construction of both facilities. The Cold Lake facility will host two tactical fighter squadrons and will cover approximately 19,300 m2, providing space for daily operations, maintenance, administration, mission planning, and simulator training. It will also house operational and support training squadrons and their training facilities. Quotes “We invest in this modern infrastructure to house our future fighter aircraft because we know it is critical to ensuring the safety and security of Canadians, as well as meeting Canada's international obligations to NORAD and NATO. A modern fighter jet fleet is essential for the defence of our country and its sovereignty, and these facilities are vital to enabling these operations.” The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of National Defence “This infrastructure project is a significant investment in the future of the Canadian Armed Forces and the Cold Lake community. Building this facility will help sustain jobs near the base, and will ensure our military is well equipped for the future.” Anita Vandenbeld, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence Quick facts We expect to award the design contract for our future fighter facility in Bagotville in September 2020. Construction is estimated to begin at both bases in summer 2022. Both design contracts will also include options for the contractors to build the new facilities, and any additional infrastructure once the future fighter is selected, should Canada decide to exercise these follow-on options. By awarding these infrastructure design contracts ahead of choosing a future fighter, we will start on work that is needed, regardless of which of the three potential aircraft is selected. This will ensure both bases are ready for the first aircraft deliveries. These facilities will be designed and constructed to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver standards and will use energy efficient options wherever possible. Associated links Future Fighter Capability Project Contacts Floriane Bonneville Press Secretary Office of the Minister of National Defence Phone: 613-996-3100 Media Relations Department of National Defence Phone: 613-904-3333 Email: mlo-blm@forces.gc.ca https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/news/2020/08/government-awards-design-contract-for-future-fighter-infrastructure-in-cold-lake.html

  • BNH's ADVISOR Enterprise Selected to Manage Training Requirements for the Canadian Surface Combatant Program

    April 29, 2021 | Local, Naval

    BNH's ADVISOR Enterprise Selected to Manage Training Requirements for the Canadian Surface Combatant Program

    MONTREAL, QC -- April 28, 2021 -- BNH Expert Software Inc. proudly announced today their contribution to the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) design contract by Irving Shipbuilding. BNH flagship product ADVISOR Enterprise will support Irving Shipbuilding in managing the training requirements of the largest, most complex procurement project ever undertaken by the Government of Canada to-date. As the Prime Contractor for CSC, Irving Shipbuilding will bring their modern and innovative approach to the construction of 15 ships at Halifax Shipyard. These state-of-the-art vessels will replace the Royal Canadian Navy's Halifax-Class frigates and Iroquois-Class destroyers. BNH Training Management System ADVISOR Enterprise accelerates and simplifies Training Needs Analysis by continually realigning training courses and activities with operational requirements; and keep pace with changes to missions, systems, jobs, policies, and technologies. By quickly identifying gaps, duplications or inefficiencies, training for the Royal Canadian Navy can be streamlined while uncovering cost drivers, improving resource allocation, mitigating bottlenecks, and optimizing training delivery. ADVISOR conducts daily top-down and bottom-up analyses to examine training requirements and activities throughout the organization. The results are presented in clear, concise, and actionable Dashboards to quickly convey critical information to users. “ADVISOR Enterprise is the definitive Training Management System to support the Canadian Surface Combatant project,” said President of BNH Expert Software Inc. J. (Jay) Bahlis, Ph.D., P. Eng. “As the missions and systems for these multifaceted ships change over the course of the next thirty years, ADVISOR will continually realign training to operational requirements to forecast the impact of change and uncover areas of improvement.” ADVISOR preserves training integrity by quickly identifying how changes to missions, systems, policies, or guides can impact jobs, tasks, courses, lessons, and objectives. With its centralized database that can be accessed in real-time, ADVISOR simplifies data manipulation and report generation, reducing the time needed to conduct training needs analysis by up to 50%. About BNH Since 1987, hundreds of military, corporate and government agencies worldwide have relied on BNH to continually improve their training effectiveness and efficiency. By identifying and managing training requirements, along with forecasting training budgets, personnel, and resources, BNH seamlessly streamlines training needs analysis for any organization. For more information, visit www.bnhexpertsoft.com. Plan better... Achieve more! About ADVISOR Enterprise ADVISOR has a proven track record. It supports multiple military standards, is recognized by CFITES, and has been successfully implemented on multiple projects in Canada, US, UK, Australia, Netherlands, Singapore and Brazil, including: Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), Tactical Airlift (C130J), Operational System Training Provider (OTSP), Medium Heavy Lift Helicopter (MHLH), Air Force Technical Training Renewal (ATTR), Polar Icebreaker (PIB), Arctic Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS), Army Land Vehicle Crew (LVC) Training, Basic Wing Course (BWC), Military Flying Training System (MFTS), Defence Training Review (DTR), Maritime Helicopter (CH148), Blackhawk (H-60), King Stallion (CH-53K), Poseidon (P-8) and Future Pilot Training (FPT) Program (http://www.bnhexpertsoft.com/our-clients/). ADVISOR Enterprise is a web based platform that can be accessed through the Cloud or installed on a local Server, consists of 8 modules that can be used separately or in combination to meet various needs and can be customized in line with requirements (http://www.bnhexpertsoft.com/products/). Video with Dr. Jay Bahlis: https://youtu.be/6kBmrE_u4wQ Contact: Teresa Madigan 1-514-745-4010 x 1039 madigan@bnhexpertsoft.com Source: BNH Expert Software

All news