Canada to spend $1.4B on locally built armored combat support vehicles, including 35 for Ukraine

Published Jul 17, 05:35 PM UTC

Canada is significantly expanding its armored fleet with a new contract to acquire 190 combat support vehicles over the next four years. The contract, worth almost $2 billion CAN (US$1.4 billion), was awarded to General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada. Canada will also pay for GDLS-Canada to build another 35 armored combat support vehicles for Ukraine. The purchase will increase the Canadian Army's wheeled light armored combat support vehicle fleet from 360 to 550 vehicles. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the deal on July 16, also designating GDLS-Canada as the first strategic partner under the government's newly established Defence Industrial Strategy framework. This framework emphasizes buying defense equipment from Canadian-based firms and reducing reliance on the U.S., following U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs and threats in 2025. The ACSVs have eight variants based on the LAV 6.0 platform and are currently deployed with the Canadian-led NATO Multinational Brigade in Latvia.