Preserving capacity, General Tom Lawson, Chief of the Defence Staff, Keys to Canadian SAR
Issue link: http://vanguardcanada.uberflip.com/i/139409
I inside industry Upgraded LAV attracts foreign interest Upgraded LAV III at CANSEC If the goal of any product is foreign sales, then the newly upgraded Light Armoured Vehicle has already proven itself. The LAV III, which in showroom shape now resembles a beefier yet cleaner version of its former self, was designed specifically for Canada. But because of the reaction of the Canadian Army, which will conduct initial product testing and validation later this year, "this is an excellent vehicle now for our export market," said Ken Yamashita, manager of corporate affairs for General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada. "We now have a vehicle that is capturing interest outside of Canada." In fact, GDLSC already claimed its first buyer earlier this year with a $65.3 million deal from Columbia for 24 LAV III vehicles. The LAV is very familiar to all Canadian soldiers, and the reaction to the upgraded version has been "palpable," especially from those with Afghanistan experience, said Doug Wilson-Hodge, manager of international business development. "To see them look at the double V hull and the changes to the turret, there was an immense amount of excitement and enthusiasm. It was very rewarding for us to see." Because of its 6.0 drive train, the army is dubbing the vehicle the LAV 6. That new drive system is able to maintain the same mobility as the former LAV III, despite much greater protection and added weight, WilsonHodge said. "From a protection point of view it is the most protected LAV that we've produced. It is the next generation." Rheinmetall Defence may be Germany's largest supplier of simulators and trainers and the largest supplier of land-based simulators in Europe, but it is still developing a profile in Canada. "Hopefully we can change that over the next years for the sake of LVCTS," said Oliver Haak, the company's senior sales manager for international projects, during CANSEC. Not only is LVCTS one of the largest projects, of its kind at the moment, it is also one of the more complex, likely depicting four vehicles – the Leopard A2 tank, the upgraded LAV III, the new tactical patrol vehicle and the yet to be determined Close Combat Vehicle – in a networked environment that will link five high-tech facilities in Edmonton, Shilo, Petawawa, Valcartier and Gagetown. "This is a real challenge" that limits the number of companies who can compete, Haak admits. But he believes Rheinmetall's experience with both the Swiss and German armies will demonstrate the company's ability to "network several remote sites together and also on-site to Leopard C2 tank at the Kandahar airfield. have complex scePhoto: Sgt Roxanne Clowe narios." The Swiss vehicle crew training program included models for a Leopard 2, a CV-90 variant and an M113, not dissimilar to Canada's requirement. "We have the capability and the expertise to model any vehicle in the world," he said. A decent proposal: AgustaWestland offers to expand Cormorant fleet Rheinmetall seeks to simulate army's vehicles The Canadian Army's Land Vehicle Crew Training System (LVCTS) will be one of the largest networked simulation projects in the western world when it is complete. Although the project is still at the options and analysis phase and an RFP is several years away, companies with considerable Canadian modelling and simulation experience such as CAE, Thales Canada and Meggitt Training Systems Canada have made their interest clear. 8 JUNE/JULY 2013 www.vanguardcanada.com In the Auditor General's 2013 Spring Report, Canadian Forces search and rescue capacity was put under the microscope. In addition to readiness, human resources and the information system that supports SAR, the auditor examined the availability of aircraft, including the CH-149 Cormorant.