VICTORIA, British Columbia — The Canadian military has ordered 39 additional light-armored vehicles from General Dynamics for $165 million as it aims to replace equipment it donated to Ukraine earlier this year, according to a spokesman with the National Defence Department.
The country also has plans to buy new-generation Carl Gustaf anti-tank systems to replace older weapons shipped to Ukraine.
The procurement efforts follow a promise by Canada’s Liberal Party government that military equipment sent to Ukraine this year would be restocked.
In July, Canada announced it was redirecting 39 light-armored vehicles, originally ordered for the Canadian Army, to Ukraine. The Armoured Combat Support Vehicles had just been built and were rolling off the assembly line at General Dynamics Land Systems’ location in London, Ontario.
Dan Le Bouthillier, the spokesman with the National Defence Department, said a new contract between Canada and General Dynamics for $165 million was signed for 39 ACSVs. The funding will come from the CA$500 million (U.S. $371 million) that the government set aside to support the purchase of military equipment for Ukraine.
Canada has shipped ammunition, anti-tank rounds, grenades, M72 rocket launchers and small arms to Ukraine from its own stocks as the European country fights off a Russian invasion. Canada also provided four M777 howitzers and 100 older-generation Carl Gustaf M2 recoilless rifles.
Department spokeswoman Jessica Lamirande said Canada will replace the small arms ammunition, grenades and M72s; however, details are still being worked out.
“Given the Carl Gustav M2 model is now obsolete, we’ll be looking at developing the acquisition solution for the M4 model instead,” she said.
Department procurement specialists are also examining how to replace the M777s. Options include looking at the international market for existing M777s, or acquiring such guns if BAE Systems’ M777 production line reopens, she said. Another option is to examine the acquisition of other types of artillery guns.
Canada originally ordered 37 M777s from BAE Systems during the Afghanistan War.
The Canadian Army is in the process of acquiring 360 new light-armored vehicles as part of a 2019 deal with General Dynamics Land Systems’ Canadian branch. The vehicles include troop cargo, command, combat support and ambulance variants.
The vehicles sent to Ukraine were troop cargo variants and were originally part of the 360-vehicle purchase.
David Pugliese is the Canada correspondent for Defense News.
