Canadian Armed Forces receive upgraded LAV III

[Shelldrake]

Among the 550 LAV IIIs to be upgraded are a number that were used in Afghanistan. In this case I suspect that rebuilt is a more accurate description given the hard use that these vehicles experienced.

http://vanguardcanada.com/general-dynamics-land-systems-canada-delivers-first-upgraded-lav-iii/

According to DND...

The following upgrades will be performed on the LAV III:

•Upgrade of mobility systems such as powertrain, suspension, running gear and brakes;
•Upgrade of the weapon system; and
•Installation of additional armour, heightening its protection against increased threats.

http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/mobil/news-nouvelles-eng.asp?id=3037

[Longdan]

I have not kept up to speed much since parting company with that organisation in 1975.
We had Greb combat boots (some with laces) and some broken down M113's.  Gotta love Trudeau.

[bayonetbrant]

^^ and spears, right?  y'all each got issued 2 spears in lieu of actual weaponry, eh?

[Barthheart]

Hey now, we're a little more up scale than that..... we got blow guns!  :P

[LongBlade]

Hey now, we're a little more up scale than that..... we got blow guns!  :P

Blow guns. Like Windy's farts: silent but deadly.

[Longdan]

^^ and spears, right?  y'all each got issued 2 spears in lieu of actual weaponry, eh?

We had a good serviceable battle rifle and some good training and a bunch of worn out
US equipment.  We had dummy LAW's and once in a while somebody could shoot off a
Carl Gustav RL!  Many went South for real work after discharge.

[MIGMaster]

Read a great article in Legion Magazine on how Trudeau raped the Cdn military while he was in power. Man, that magazine has certainly improved over the years - very professional now with great info. Just about as good as Canadian Defence Review

[Shelldrake]

Pulled the following from Wiki.

On October 21, 2011 the Canadian government announced a $1.1 billion contract to General Dynamics Land Systems to upgrade 550 LAV III combat vehicles. The government said the upgrade is needed to improve protection against mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), which have been the cause of a number of Canadian deaths in Afghanistan. The improvements will also extend the service of the vehicles up to 2035 and will boost troop mobility. The upgrades include a new and more powerful engine, increased armour protection, steering and brake systems. The turret hatches on the LAV III would be made larger and improved fire control, thermal, day and low-light sights, and data displays. The weight of the vehicle would increase from 38,000 pounds (17,000 kg) to 55,000 pounds (25,000 kg).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LAV_III

If the article is accurate the upgraded LAV IIIs will weigh almost 50% more than the originals! Depending on how the increased weight is distributed this may make the upgraded version even more prone to roll-overs.

More information and nice pics at this link.

http://www.casr.ca/bg-army-armour-lav-upgrade.htm

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

No Way!?

[Longdan]

Its Canada.  Maybe they figure if it is top heavy it won't slide around on the ice so much...
you know - weight up top because it is slippery on the bottom....won't skid, just tip over.
Friend of mine died in an M113 roll over..no open coffin for that one!

[Pinetree]

^^ and spears, right?  y'all each got issued 2 spears in lieu of actual weaponry, eh?

We had a good serviceable battle rifle and some good training and a bunch of worn out
US equipment.  We had dummy LAW's and once in a while somebody could shoot off a
Carl Gustav RL!  Many went South for real work after discharge.

Sounds exactly like my time in the NZ Army back in the early '90s except ours was worn out Aussie gear. We had DPM uniforms that would fade after one wash and look like stone-washed jeans. Our wet-weather gear was called "stay wets" as they were just rubber and you would sweat a bucket in them. No flash gore-tex for us. ;D

[Centurion40]

I remember my first field exercise in 1980.  We ate Vietnam-era US rations, probably purchased at a huge discount.

[Shelldrake]

I remember my first field exercise in 1980.  We ate Vietnam-era US rations, probably purchased at a huge discount.

Mmmmm....canned bacon and eggs!

[Centurion40]

And a green can at that!!  :)

I was partial to that tin of meat with some of those crackers.  We used those peanut butter pucks as weapons.

[Windigo]

Hey now, we're a little more up scale than that..... we got blow guns!  :P

Blow guns. Like Windy's farts: silent but deadly.