Garrison – Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, and General Wayne Eyre, Chief of the Defence Staff, visited Garrison Petawawa where the first four new Armoured Combat Support Vehicles (ACSVs) were officially accepted by the Canadian Army. Minister Blair and General Eyre toured the newly-arrived armoured vehicles, which represent the first of 360 Armoured Combat Support Vehicles that will be delivered to the Canadian Army over the coming years. These first four vehicles are the ambulance variant, which will be equipped with medical supplies and an internal layout that will allow for the treatment of a wide range of injuries.
Procured through the Armoured Combat Support Vehicle project, these vehicles will provide the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) with a modernized, armoured combat support fleet which will ensure the members of the Canadian Army have the tools that they need to conduct operations in Canada, and abroad. These vehicles are general-utility combat support vehicles that will fulfil a wide variety of support roles on the battlefield – including serving as troop transport, command vehicles, electronic warfare, mobile repair, and various combat engineering tasks. They will provide a high degree of maneuverability and protection to their crews and payloads.
This procurement is delivering major economic benefits for Canada. The 360 ACSVs are being acquired thanks to a $2 billion investment with General Dynamics Land Systems – Canada. This project is supporting 1,975 jobs annually in London, Ontario and across the country, as well as contributing $250 million dollars annually to Canada’s Gross Domestic Product over an eight-year period.
The delivery of the ambulance marks the first of eight variants to be received by the Canadian Army under the ACSV project. Training for both maintainers and operators of the vehicle is scheduled to begin this month.
“The members of the Canadian Armed Forces deserve modern equipment that gets the job done. These new Armoured Combat Support Vehicles will serve our members well at home and abroad, enabling them to protect Canada and support our Allies. I thank the hundreds of Canadian workers involved in building these vehicles – and reaffirm our commitment to investing in our military while creating good jobs for Canadians.” – Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence
“This project highlights investments in Canada’s domestic supply chain, and the importance of supporting good middle-class jobs. Welcoming the first ambulance variant of the Armoured Combat Support Vehicle supports our commitment in ensuring members of our Canadian Armed Forces have the modern equipment they need to do their jobs and keep Canadians safe.” – Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Public Services and Procurement