LONDON, Ontario – General Dynamics Land Systems–Canada has been awarded a CA$404 million contract amendment by the Government of Canada to upgrade 141 Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV) III vehicles.

 

The upgrades will enhance the performance and survivability of these Canadian designed and manufactured vehicles. It also ensures the consistency and availability of equipment for training and deployments. In addition, having a fleet of LAVs of largely the same configuration reduces long-term maintenance costs.

 

The LAV III Upgrade program delivers vehicles in the new LAV 6.0 configuration.  It is the direct result of lessons learned by the Canadian Army in Afghanistan, and was developed with substantial inputs from the Government of Canada. The upgrades include the life-saving double-V hull, protection and mobility enhancements, onboard vetronics and capacity for future growth and modularity.

 

“We are committed to delivering highly protected, flexible and capable vehicles to our soldiers and the LAV 6.0 provides the Canadian Army with best-in-class protection and mobility,” said Danny Deep, vice president of General Dynamics Land Systems–Canada. “This announcement is welcome news to the London area and to our suppliers across Canada whose jobs will be sustained with this additional work.”

 

In October 2011, the Government of Canada awarded General Dynamics Land Systems–Canada a CA$1.064 billion contract to incorporate a comprehensive upgrade package into 550 of the Canadian Army’s fleet of LAV III combat vehicles and extends their life to 2035.

 

This contract sustains approximately 250 highly skilled jobs in advanced manufacturing in the London, Ontario, region. In addition, it will be of direct economic benefit to General Dynamics’ extensive supplier network located across Canada.

 

General Dynamics Land Systems–Canada is a defence industry leader in land and amphibious systems development and integration. Based in London, Ontario, the Canadian operations employs more than 2,000 people in the design, manufacture and support of light- and medium-armoured vehicles, and are specialists in machining, materials, electronics, software development, prototyping, logistics support and systems integration. For more information, please visit www.gdlscanada.com.