CDR’s writer, Gabriel Oakley, recently spoke with GDLS-Canada to get an update on the company’s various initiatives, both in Canada – as a strategic supplier to the Canadian Army, and abroad – supporting the Canadian government’s donation of Armoured Combat Support Vehicles (ACSVs) to Ukraine.

BY GABRIEL OAKLEY

Canada’s Defence Policy Update (DPU), Our North Strong and Free: A renewed Vision for Canada’s Defence, was unveiled last April by Canada’s Minister of National Defence, Bill Blair. The document opens with a strong statement that explains why this renewed vision for Canada is so critical.

“A more challenging world is already having far-reaching impacts on the day-to-day lives of Canadians. A rapidly changing climate, new challenges to global stability, and accelerating advances in technology are affecting the foundations of Canadian security and prosperity. Today more than ever, Canada needs a robust military that can defend Canada and protect Canadians at home, while defending our national interests abroad with allies and partners.”

It is the same recognition being made by western countries globally. As they develop strategies and policies to effectively deal with the new reality, they are primarily recognizing that the status quo is no longer acceptable and hasn’t been for some time.

DEFENCE INDUSTRIAL BASE

The conflict in Ukraine has underscored the need for a strong North American-focused defence industrial base. In January of this year the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) released its first Defense Industrial Strategy to ensure “…that the U.S. defense industrial base meets the demands of a challenging national security landscape well into the future.”

In March, the European Union did the same – “Faced with the return of high intensity warfare in Europe, following Russia’s unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine in 2022, the Union must swiftly enhance its defence readiness.”

Our North Strong and Free (ONSAF) recognizes that building up Canada’s defence capabilities depends on building up its defence industrial base and securing its innovation ecosystem and supply chain.

“We will change Defence’s approach to working with industry, innovators, and researchers—moving away from transactional approaches for acquiring capabilities to sustained strategic partnerships founded on transparency and trust,” the DPU states.

ONSAF notes that “…the Army’s light armoured vehicle fleet is central to ensuring Canada can maintain its operational commitments, including to NATO, while maintaining a robust fleet at home for training and domestic operations”. The commitment is to “explore options for upgrading or replacing our light armoured vehicle fleet.” The DPU also proposes to explore the establishment of a production program providing sustained investment and production capacity.

“Canada will explore establishing a light armoured vehicle production program to replenish our fleet while also enabling industry to invest in a sustainable defence production capacity to support Canada and our NATO allies.”

With a global threat picture that has changed so drastically over such a short period of time, it is quite clear that action is urgently needed.

Swift government action is needed to reinforce the defence industrial base, strengthen the Canadian Army, meet NATO’s 2% target, work on a renewed U.S – Canada security partnership commitment, and provide flexible defence procurement. General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada (GDLS-Canada) remains engaged, ready, and fully capable to quickly respond to Canada’s needs and requests, in what will prove to be an unpredictable future.

U.S.-CANADA PARTNERSHIP

Strengthening our close relationship with our friends south of the border is becoming increasingly more important given the changing global threat environment. In a recent Globe and Mail opinion piece, Tim Cook, Chief Historian and Director of Research at the Canadian War Museum, writes “now is the time for Ottawa and Washington to band closer together, to speak loudly to that shared history and to remember that one’s good allies of the past are also those of the present and future.”

In response to a recently launched Public Policy Forum and the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy initiative – Matter More, A Canadian Strategy For A Changing United States, five former Canadian ambassadors to the U.S. signed an open letter endorsing the initiative.

The letter states “Canada and the United States enjoy a ‘special relationship’ that benefits our mutual commercial and security interests hugely. It is one of the world’s great win-wins. Our intimate ties atop North America and into the wider world also require constant tending. This is particularly true now, amid rapid and complex geopolitical change.”

“General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada is the cornerstone of Canada’s defence industry and plays a critical role helping the nation meet its alliance commitments, contribute towards the NATO 2% pledge, and protecting the advanced manufacturing capabilities of North America’s integrated defence industrial supply base,” said Jason A. Monahan, Vice President and General Manager of GDLS-Canada. “Our strengthened ties with the U.S. helps us achieve that goal, creates jobs and economic growth.”

A STRATEGIC PARTNER FOR THE CANADIAN ARMY

GDLS-Canada is a vitally important contributor to Canada’s Defence Industrial Base and provides Canada with a sovereign defence manufacturing capability. For almost 50 years General Dynamics has been a leading exporter, supplier to the Canadian and U.S. militaries and allied nations, and has delivered effectively on public policy objectives, including Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITBs).

“We are uniquely positioned to respond to the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) capability needs with innovative technologies and solutions,” Monahan told CDR. “Light Armoured Vehicles have protected Canada’s soldiers for over 47 years, and we continue that tradition with the delivery of eight new variants under the Armoured Combat Support Vehicle (ACSV) program. We have also teamed with industry leaders including Marshall Canada, Mercedes-Benz (Daimler Trucks), Soframe and Manac Inc to deliver the CAF’s new fleet of light and heavy logistics vehicles through the Logistics Vehicle Modernization (LVM) program. As Canada’s strategic provider of land platforms, General Dynamics Land Systems–Canada is honoured to have the opportunity to provide our Canadian Armed Forces with the modern vehicles, equipment and services they need to keep Canadians safe.”

ACSV

As Monahan mentioned, Canada is replacing its older LAVs (Light Armoured Vehicles) such as the LAV II Bison and M113 Tracked LAV fleets, with a new fleet of 360 ACSVs, which are based on the LAV 6.0. The Canadian designed and manufactured ACSV comes in eight additional variants of the LAV 6.0 family of vehicles including ambulances, command posts, maintenance and recovery vehicles, fitters and troop-carrying vehicles. Having a fleet of LAVs, a common baseline configuration, reduces training and long-term maintenance costs.

Canada is not the only country that will benefit from these vehicles. GDLS-Canada is proud to support the Government of Canada in its efforts to provide Ukraine with ACSVs to conduct operations in defence of their homeland. This year General Dynamics, on behalf of Canada, is delivering 50 ACSVs to Ukraine, which are designed and manufactured by workers in London, Ontario. This is the second time it has provided such support.

“The Canadian Government’s donation of ACSVs represent a critical addition to Ukraine’s capabilities,” said Monahan. “We are very proud to support Canada in its donation of these vehicles. This key capability will help save lives and will support the brave women and men of Ukraine in their fight for security and democracy.”

LVM PROGRAM

In even bigger news, GDLS-Canada is now under contract to deliver the Logistics Vehicle Modernization (LVM) project. The contract award was announced by Minister Blair during the opening day of CANSEC 2024. The LVM project will modernize and improve the light and heavy portion of the Logistics Fleets through the acquisition of new fleets of light and heavy logistics vehicles, trailers, vehicle modules, and armour protection kits. These vehicles are used by the CAF to transport personnel, equipment, and supplies in support of operations at home and abroad. They will also transport modules that can be used as spaces for functions such as cargo space, troop lift, ambulances, workshops, and command posts.

To compete for the LVM project, General Dynamics assembled the ideal international team with the qualifications and pedigree needed to fulfil the much-needed capability requirements.

With its proven program management and execution experience, GDLS-Canada leads with Marshall Canada an international Power Team of highly qualified partners, a team the Canadian Army can rely on to support its needs now and far into the future.

GLOBAL REACH

As an international business, General Dynamics Land Systems’ global reach brings even more benefit to Canada. They have a Canadian footprint, but their reach is global in that, through their global customers, they have access to global engineering, global suppliers, and the latest technologies. They can bring the best of the world to Canada. Leveraging the company’s Global reach can be extremely helpful as Canada moves to accomplish NATO and ONSAF updated defence policy commitments.

CAPABILITY UPLIFT

Being mission ready also relies on a strong ongoing fleet capability uplift – complementary to the concepts Canada has defined through Continuous Capability Sustainment (CCS) – investing in technology insertions for Light Armoured Vehicles (LAVs) already in the field – for example, can ensure that the CAF always has what it needs for successful missions.

Editor’s note: CCS seeks to identify ongoing investments in technology upgrades over the in-service phase of a capability to ensure CAF equipment remains technologically relevant, fit for purpose, and aligned with the extant high level mandatory requirements.

A CCS program enables a planned approach to ‘spiraling in’ evolving vehicle and manufacturing technologies. This enables the LAV 6.0 fleet to respond to current and emerging threats through regular continuous modernization initiatives.

CCS also provides for the potential to iterate and evolve the fleet as needs and threats change. Generally, military procurements require all vehicles to be the same to facilitate maintenance and support; this extends time to implement changes and increases cost. However, with the CCS mechanism and GDLS-Canada’s in-place support, the CAF can implement changes to a portion of the fleet and rapidly iterate capabilities for specific cases, while ensuring the complexities of support remain nearly transparent to the Army.

ECONOMIC BENEFITS

GDLS-Canada’s global reach is also a contributor to Canada’s economy. General Dynamics continues to retain its Canadian supply base and key Canadian personnel developed over decades of delivering domestic and export programs, generating investments in innovation and talent needed to deliver Canada’s current and future requirements.

More than 85% of their business is sustained through exports, which means that revenue coming into Canada far outweighs money being spent in Canada.

“We are unique in Canada. The expertise, innovation and supply chain development that we maintain in Canada is driven by our business base – of which a substantial portion is export work,” said Jason Alejandro Monahan, Vice President and General Manager of GDLS-Canada.

This expertise is unique in Canada; Canadian LAV procurements benefit by integrating advanced, transformational technology whose development has been largely funded by prior export contracts.

A WIN-WIN FOR CANADA

The changing security environment emphasizes the need for equipping the Canadian Army with globally competitive solutions, ensuring that they are equipped with the best solutions for the mission. This continues to be GDLS-Canada’s primary goal.

The work General Dynamic Land Systems-Canada does provides the CAF with a more modern fleet, and is a force multiplier creating additional investments and innovations that benefit Canada. It creates jobs, strengthens supply chains, achieves technological advancement, and provides opportunity for skills development. This is a strategic partnership that delivers win-win for Canada in that it delivers world-class equipment for the CAF, while strengthening the country economically and internationally.

Gabriel Oakley is a Regular CDR Contributor