Vehicles
| Hello dear reader! This nation page is intended only as a placeholder before a proper, in-depth one can be produced |
When the Cold War ended, Canada’s government was led by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. His policies were focussed on improved (trade) relations with the USA and appeasement of the Quebecois independence movement, a largely francophone region within Canada. Military budget cuts, a trend that could be seen in all NATO countries, was initially limited due to the threat of a possible violence between English-Canadians and French-Canadians in Quebec. Tensions culminated in the Oka crisis, which saw a passive and successful deployment of the military. Tensions waned after.
The following years were signified by the end of Canadian military bases in Europe and the participation in international military and peacekeeping operations. The largest number of Canadian troops were deployed in the Gulf War, in Yugoslavia, and in Afghanistan.
Canada’s main battle tank was the Leopard C1. In 1996, 66 were upgraded to the C2 (Leopard 1A5). The Leopard C2 saw service from 1997 until 2017. In mid-2007, Canada also began leasing 20 Leopard 2A6Ms from the German Army for use in Afghanistan. Furthermore, 80 Leopard 2A4 and 20 2A6NL were bought from the Netherlands. The 20 2A6NL were later refurbished to 2A7 standards and swapped with Germany for the 20 2A6Ms already in service. Of the 80 2A4, 20 were modernized into the 2A4M CAN, another 18 were rebuilt into the Wisent 2 armored engineering vehicle by FFG Canada and the remaining 42 were to be used as training vehicles. In addition to these tanks, Büffel armored recovery vehicles were acquired. Due to low maintenance, by 2018, just 15-20% of Canada’s Leopards were operational. In 2023, 8 2A4s and one Büffel ARV were donated to Ukraine.
For mechanized artillery, Canada had 76 M109A4B+. These were retired in 2005 and replaced by the M777 towed howitzer. New armored vehicle acquisitions included the purchase of 75 RG-31 Nyala MRAPSs and M113 tracked APCs. Under the Expedient Route Opening Capability Vehicles program, Cougar MRAPs, Buffalo A2 MRAPs, and Husky mine clearing systems were acquired in the 2000s.
In August 1995, Canada ordered 654 LAV III Kodiaks from General Motors Diesel (later General Dynamics Land Systems – Canada) to replace the LAV I Grizzly and part of the M113 tracked APC fleet. They entered service from 1999 onwards. In 2011, a contract followed to upgrade 409 LAV III to LAV 6 standards. A further 141 LAV IIIs were ordered to be upgraded in 2017 and all were delivered by July 2019. In 2015, a program started to upgrade 66 LAV III to LAV 6 standards as the LAV Recce Surveillance System (LRSS) to replace the LAV II Coyote reconnaissance vehicle. Production started in 2020 with deliveries taking place from 2022 to 2024. Furthermore, in 2019, 360 new LAV 6-based Armored Combat Support Vehicles (ACSV) were ordered to replace the remainder of the LAV II Bison and M113 vehicle fleet. Deliveries started in 2023 and are expected to be completed in 2027.
In 2015, 500 Tactical Armored Patrol Vehicles (TAPV) were ordered from Textron Industries Canada to replace part of the LAV II Coyote fleet and all the RG-31 Nyalas. They were delivered from 2016 to 2018.
Canada is home to an extensive array of defense companies with production capabilities for light armored vehicles. A few of these have branched out internationally to countries such as the United States and the United Arab Emirates, in some cases relocating their headquarters as well. Likewise, Canada is home to manufacturing facilities of non-Canadian defense companies as well. Examples of armor-producing companies in Canada include Cambli Group, GDLS, Inkas, Roshel, Streit Group, Terradyne, and Textron.
The national police force of Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, operates the Navistar International MXT armored personnel carrier. Local police forces operate a variety of Canadian or US-produced light armored police vehicles or retired military vehicles.