David Carl, Toronto - Jane's International Defence Review
General Dynamics Land Systems Canada (GDLS-C) unveiled two new variants of its light armoured vehicle (LAV) 6.0 family during CANSEC 2018 in Ottowa from 30–31 May. The company also spoke about its LAV 6.0 Air Defence concept, and the LAV 700 currently in production for an export customer.
The LAV 6.0 Reconnaissance, or ‘Recce', variant was developed from the LAV 6.0 baseline for the Canadian Army's LAV Reconnaissance Surveillance Suite Upgrade Program (LRSS-UP), a contract awarded to GDLS-C in late 2014 at a cost of CAD287 million (USD216 million) for 66 vehicles. First deliveries of the vehicles to the Canadian Army are expected in the early 2020s.
In addition to sharing common features with the LAV 6.0, such as the M242 25 mm chain gun, a double-V hull, and a 450-hp Caterpillar C9 engine, the LAV 6 Recce has extensive sensors for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.
The detachable electro optic/infrared (EO/IR) surveillance suite, mounted on top of an extendable mast, has a radar, a day/night imager, IR imaging, and a laser pointer/laser rangefinder (LRF) all fitted to a stabilised gimble. The mast can be extended up to 5 m when on the move, or up to 10 m while stationary.
The sensors on the mast feed information into the operator control station, which consists of two touchscreen displays, a keyboard, and a primary hand controller. The feed can be duplicated onto an onboard laptop, which can also control the mast while connected to the vehicle. The commander and gunner stations can access the sensor data from their own displays in their respective compartments. The vehicle also has an extended ‘silent watch' functionality, whereby it can turn off the engines and carry out its ISR functions using its onboard lithium batteries for up to eight hours.
May 23, 2023 | Local, Aerospace
The RCAF is dealing with significant challenges bringing in new recruits and retaining its existing staff, raising concerns it won?t have enough personnel to operate and maintain a host of new aircraft the Canadian government is acquiring.
March 10, 2020 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
In the last election campaign the Liberals promised to create a defence procurement agency as part of its efforts to improve purchasing of equipment for the Canadian Forces. No details were released at the time. In December, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in his mandate letter to Procurement Minister Anita Anand, outlined how she would lead an effort to bring “forward analyses and options for the creation of Defence Procurement Canada, to ensure that Canada's biggest and most complex National Defence and Canadian Coast Guard procurement projects are delivered on time and with greater transparency to Parliament.” Anand would do this with the support of the Minister of National Defence and the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, according to her mandate letter. At the time Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan claimed much of the work was already underway. “A lot of work has already started on (Defence Procurement Canada) and the goal of this is to make sure that we get the procurement projects done as quickly as possible to make sure the Canadian Armed Forces has what they need,” Sajjan told iPolitics the day before his mandate letter was released. Strangely, when asked about that work, Sajjan's department pointed out that he wasn't specifically referring to the DND and that Anand's Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) had the lead on the file. So, Defense Watch requested the timetable for this effort. Among the questions asked of Anand's department was when the new agency could potentially be expected to be stood up, will there be consultations done and whether there were any concepts already put forward for the agency that could be shared with the public? If this were such an important effort then of course the department would have an idea of at least a timeline on how things might unfold. Here is the answer provided by PSPC: “The Minister of Public Services and Procurement has been tasked to work with partner departments to bring forward analyses and options for the creation of Defence Procurement Canada. Public Services and Procurement Canada is leading this work with support from National Defence, Canadian Coast Guard, and Innovation Sciences and Economic Development Canada. This initiative is aimed at ensuring that Canada's biggest, most complex procurement projects are delivered on time and with greater transparency to Parliament. Work on this important initiative has just begun.” This answer provides little more than what was in the mandate letter. No details on what actual work was being contemplated or taking place was provided. There is no schedule or target date for even producing options and reporting back to government on those. In fact, this PSPC answer seems to undercut Sajjan's earlier claims that “a lot” of work had already started even before the mandate letters were released. Some in the defence industry don't expect much to come from the Liberal election promise of a single defence procurement agency. They point out their case is bolstered when the department leading the initiative doesn't know, or can't provide, even a timetable for such an initiative. The public, as well as industry, will have to wait and see whether Defence Procurement Canada ever becomes a reality. (Analysis) https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/government-doesnt-know-when-a-defence-procurement-agency-will-be-created
September 22, 2022 | Local, Security
As Canadians play, work, and explore outdoors, search and rescue personnel stand ready to respond when someone goes missing or is in distress. The Government of Canada is committed to supporting the search and rescue community by providing them with the tools and technology they need to best serve Canadians and ensure a seamless approach to operations across the country. Today, on behalf of the Honourable Bill Blair, President of the Queen's Privy Council and Minister of Emergency Preparedness, Parliamentary Secretary Yasir Naqvi announced $1.4 million in funding for Counter Crisis Technology Inc. The funding, available through Public Safety Canada's Search and Rescue New Initiatives Fund, will support the development and implementation of a shared incident command system software solution for ground search and rescue volunteers and employees, including police services across the country. The new system will improve ground search and rescue, building on existing technology to enhance coordination between search and rescue organizations, by supporting information, data and knowledge sharing between jurisdictions. It will deliver and support an integrated solution to police services across Canada, fostering mutual aid, cooperation, and improving disaster response capabilities and outcomes for Canadians. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-safety-canada/news/2022/09/government-of-canada-invests-14-million-to-improve-search-and-rescue-in-canada.html