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Despite a major emergency equipment buy launched prior to the latest Canadian deployment in Afghanistan, there’s no substitute for the reality of warfare to drive home key equipment gaps. While the need for medium-heavy helicopters remains as acute as ever given Boeing’s delivery schedules, land forces are seeing steady improvements and support from the government. Fresh on the heels of announcing its EROC buy of 16 counter-mine vehicles comes this DND release, re: a C$ 87 million (currently about $78.4 million) contract:
“The Canadian Forces’ heavy logistics requirement is currently provided by a fleet of more than 1,200 unarmoured Heavy Logistics Vehicle Wheeled (HLVW) trucks that were procured in the late 1980s. In the 1990s, during operations in the Balkans, the threat of small arms fire, grenades and blast mines led the Army to develop an armour protection system (APS) for the HLVW. The APS components are made of steel, ceramic and ballistic glass… extremely heavy and could only be designed to defeat certain threats without seriously degrading the payload capacity and functionality… The HLVW currently provides the entire heavy logistics capability to Canadian Forces (CF) operations in Afghanistan, and is equipped with the same APS that was procured for the Balkans conflict. The fleet was meant to operate primarily on paved roads, and the aging HLVW fleet is significantly challenged by the harsh conditions and challenging terrain of operations in Afghanistan…”
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The Armoured Heavy Support Vehicle System (AHSVS) RFP was issued in 2007, and 3 comprehensive bids were received. DaimlerChrysler AG’s Actros truck won, and for every contract dollar awarded, DaimlerChrysler AG will commit a corresponding dollar in economic activity in Canada. Given Chrysler’s substantial manufacturing presence in Canada, this will be easy.
The contract calls for 82 trucks:
* 25 cargo with material handling crane variant vehicles, of which 8 will be gun tractors for the M777 ultralight towed howitzer;
* 5 recovery variant vehicles, which can be used on vehicles up to LAV-III/Stryker size;
* 12 heavy tank transporter tractor variant vehicles, to complement the Leopard tanks now in theater;
* 40 palletized loading system (PLS) with container handling unit variant vehicles that include 10 petroleum, oils, and lubricants variants; and 5 water variants.
The contract also includes an option of procuring an additional 26 AHSVS of various variants.
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The AHSVS will be replacing the HLVWs that are presently in Afghanistan. The new trucks will will provide high levels of crew protection, incorporating mine blast resistance and protection against both IED land mines and ballistic threats thanks to an armored cab developed by LMT in Pretoria, South Africa. It claims to protect against mines and small arms fire, but only weighs 2000 kg/ 4,400 pounds. Interestingly, LMT has also developed a “protected personnel transporter” for Daimler-Chrysler that is mounted on Actros trucks, and resembles EADS’ TransProtec “battlebox” in use by the German and Danish militaries.
Initial delivery of the AHSVS to Afghanistan will commence in the fall of 2007, with final delivery anticipated for March 2008.
The HLVW fleet “will continue to service Canadian troops in areas where there is a lower threat environment.”