Vanguard Magazine

P Procurement 32 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 www.vanguardcanada.com t he Canadian Army (CA) is working with three new ve- hicles in a long-term effort to ensure soldiers are able to move effectively across the dif- ficult Arctic terrain. The CA purchased eight of the Argo XT, a tracked small unit support vehicle, and 20 of the DEW Engineering D900, a die- sel-powered snowmobile in what is being referred to as a "buy and try" arrangement. Also being tested in the Polaris Rampage. As Major Peter Chan, director of the CA's ongoing Arctic Mobility Project ex- plained, the Army is not planning to make these vehicles a permanent part of its arse- nal. Their use will instead help in determin- ing what specific features and capabilities will best serve its needs in the far north. The Arctic's isolation and climate have always presented challenges to the Cana- dian Armed Forces (CAF), Maj Chan said. The region has a great deal of what he calls "marginal terrain," meaning ice sheets, various types of snow and muskeg, an Al- gonquin term for the grassy bogs formed over the past 10,000 years in areas that were covered by glaciers during the last ice age. "Basically just a very wide variety of ter- rains," said Maj Chan. "Too many for one vehicle." Under the current project timeline, new vehicles will be in service by 2025. They will replace the BV206, a tracked, all- terrain transport vehicle that first entered service in 1983. The BV206 fleet was up- graded between 1998 and 2001. Funding to further extend its active life to at least 2022 by replacing engines and transmis- sions was recently approved. Despite those upgrades, Maj Chan ex- plained, the fleet's age means replacement parts are getting harder to come by and so the Army is acting now to ensure effective replacements are selected in a timely man- ner. The Argo XT and D900 will also fill any interim needs arising before the new vehicles arrive in 2025. Half of the Argo XTs are in use in Yel- lowknife, Northwest Territories by mem- bers of the CAF's Joint Task Force North and the rest are at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta. Manufacturer Argo, which also builds vehicles for com- mercial and personal use and is based in New Hamburg, Ontario, has adapted the XT for CA roles by adding an enclosed cab, a kit that enables it to carry stretchers, and a military fuel can holder. "We're going to trial them in those loca- tions and assess what the capabilities are in marginal terrain to help us define our real, high-level mandatory requirements for fu- ture purchases," said Maj Chan. The D900, built by Ottawa-based DEW Engineering and Development, is unique among snowmobiles in that it is purpose- built for military use. Its diesel engine, Maj Chan added, also provides greatly increased fuel efficiency, which is a major consideration in Arctic operations. by steven Fouchard arctIc MobIlIty ProJect Argo XT, D900, Rampage trials clears path for Under the current project timeline new vehicles will be in service by 2025 The Polaris Rampage vehicle during Operation Nunalivut at Resolute Bay, Nunavut.

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