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Scott Taylor: Canadian military is in the market for new tanks

Procurement moves at typically glacial pace

The Liberal government recently published a formal request for information from potential defence industry suppliers about a new fleet of armoured land vehicles.

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Interested companies have two months to submit suggestions from which the Canadian military brain trust can concoct a plan on how exactly they want to replace our aging fleet of Leopard 2 main battle tanks.

If that sounds like a very vague template, that is because it is a very vague template.

The current plan for upgrades and refurbishment of the Leopard 2 tanks is aimed at ensuring “platform viability until 2035.” For those familiar with the glacial pace of Canadian military procurement, that means that replacing the Leopard 2s should have been put on a fast track at least five years ago.

However, that would have been before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. As that near peer stalemate slogs on to this day, Canadian strategists have no doubt been closely monitoring the battlefield modifications being made by both sides in that conflict with regard to keeping heavy armoured vehicles viable in a modern war.

The future of Canada’s self described armoured cavalry, or tank regiments, remains hanging in the balance as this request for information includes the option of industry simply upgrading the existing fleet of Leopard 2s or the construction of all-new........

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