General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada has officially started construction work on the first armored combat support vehicle (ACSV) for the Canadian Armed Forces.
Built at the company’s London, Ontario manufacturing facilities, these new vehicles will fulfill a variety of combat support roles such as that of troop/cargo vehicle (TCV), ambulance, command post, and mobile repair and recovery.
The contract for this project was awarded last September, and since then, a number of subcontracts have been awarded by General Dynamics to allow work to start. The contract for 360 ACSV, initial spare parts, technical manuals and training has a value of approximately C$2 billion.
Based on the company’s LAV 6.0 platform, the ACSVs will replace the current fleets of M113 tracked light armored vehicle (TLAV) and the LAV II Bison.
The first vehicle is expected roll off the production line this December, with deliveries occurring through February 2025. Testing, training, and procurement of spare parts will be required before the initial vehicles are distributed to Canadian Armed Forces bases in 2022.
“These vehicles will form the backbone of the Army’s combat support fleet, and be used on a wide range of operations including domestic disaster relief and international peace support missions,” Canadian defense minister Harjit S. Sajjan commented.
“Thanks to the flexibility found in our defense policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged, work on the vehicles has started years earlier than expected and ensures that we continue to support well-paying Canadian jobs and critical innovation in communities across the country.”
