The Obscure Vehicles of the CAF I

I love the obscure.

You know that. I love obscure info. I love obscure facts. I love obscure companies. Anything that is hidden away, weird, or just plain forgotten, I live to know it all. It is one of the reasons I post about so many obscure events!

The era of modern information often means that these obscurities are harder and harder to find. People are online, they post, talk, and show off things that in any other scenario would never be shown off.

That makes my job a lot easier, but it also takes away some of the fun I get in tracking down and discussing things. As time goes on, more and more gets shown to the public.

However, there are still some platforms, some things that still manage to evade the public eye. These platforms are often employed in small numbers, for very specialized roles or tasks that keep them away from the glamour and camera.

While there aren't many of these platforms that aren't regularly discussed, we here at TNSR have managed to come up with three of these oddities for your pleasure, from Arctic vehicles to famous vehicles you might know are in Canadian service.

There are more out there, and perhaps we will take the challenge of identifying them all. However, for today we will stick to these three, starting with...

Cambli Blackwolf

Cambli is an interesting company.

A family-owned business with over fifty years of experience in armored vehicle manufacturing. Cambli itself was founded in its current form in 1993, though its history started in the 1950s with the late André Tougas, who was responsible for introducing armored vehicles to Quebec through Brink's Canada.

The company, based in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada, is one of the largest armored vehicle manufacturers in North America. They had previously held the top spot, though I don't know if they still maintain that distinction.

The company maintains two manufacturing facilities able to turn out over three hundred vehicles a year. Its core business and primary source of revenue remains the design and assembly of custom armored cash-in-transit (CIT) vehicles for public, civil, and private security needs.

However, under the leadership of Véronique Tougas, third-generation CEO of the company, Cambli aims to diversify its customer base and engage more in the defence and security market. That is where Blackwolf comes in.

Blackwolf follows a common philosophy of many Canadian armored vehicles. Its core consists of the Ford F-550 Super Duty chassis, by far the most common chassis we see among the industry for 4x4 vehicles.

Other common examples include the Roshel Senator and Terradyne Gurkha, both of which are currently competing as part of the Light Utility Vehicle project. Cambli as of now has not been added to the qualified pool.

The F-550 provides a cheap, readily available chassis to modify. It is a chassis that most technicians will easily be able to maintain and repair, spare parts are widely available, and it is a platform designed from the onset to be modified and tailored with.

The chassis high payload also ensures that the vehicle can be installed with a capable monocoque hull while also maintaining payload capacity for future growth.

Some, like the Senator, are heavily modified from their original chassis to the point where they are essentially a separate vehicle. The Blackwolf doesn't go nearly that far.

The Blackwolf measures approximately 6.24m in length, 2.43m in width, and 3.0m in height. It has a GVWR of about 9½ to 10 tons with a maximum payload of roughly 1½ tons.

In standard configuration, the Blackwolf has the capacity to carry ten individuals including driver, co-driver/commander, and eight troops. The seating area of the Blackwolf can also be reconfigured to fill several other roles including as a Medical Evacuation vehicle, Command and Control Vehicle, and as a future CUAS platform, according to Cambli.

Blackwolf comes equipped standard with a Ford 6.8-litre turbo diesel engine producing ~288 horsepower (at 4,000 RPM) along with a 6-speed automatic transmission. Her top road speed is reportedly up to 150 km/h with a max range of about 800 km.

For armor protection, Cambli advertises that the Blackwolf can be armored up to a STANAG 4569 Level II for Ballistic protection. At this Level, the Blackwolf must be able to defeat the 7.62×39 mm API-BZ round, the armor-piercing incendiary cartridge associated with AK-pattern rifles, fired from 30 meters at roughly 695 m/s. Protection must be maintained across the full 360-degree horizontal arc, meaning the vehicle’s structure and add-on panels are expected to stop this threat from any direction.

I have not been able to find any sort of mention of blast protection. Given the lack of a traditional V-shaped hull and its origins as a SWAT/Security vehicle, I am going to make the assumption that it lacks this capability.

Other features of the Blackwolf include a run-flat tire system, an optional self-recovery winch, heating and air-conditioning, thermal and acoustic insulation, and an option for an auxiliary AC system. The Blackwolf can also be armed up to a .50 calibre gun.

In the Canadian Armed Forces, a limited number of Blackwolf are currently in service. As part of the Ground-Based Air Defence UOR, DEW Engineering has subcontracted Cambli to provide the Blackwolf as a transport vehicle for RBS-70 teams in Latvia.

While many have reported this as Cambli's first contract with the CAF, a small number of vehicles have been purchased in the past for training and as base transports! That's a little fun fact you can throw around.

Despite these wins though, and their history, the Blackwolf did not qualify for the original LUV suppliers pool. This is something that genuinely surprised me, especially when Terradyne, offering a very similar platform, made the cut.

Of course, we will never know why they didn't qualify, and there is now a second chance with the Invitation to Qualify now open. However, I would still be surprised to see them get through.

Nevertheless, the Blackwolf is still one of the most capable 4x4 vehicles in the CAF, even if in minuscule numbers. It is far more capable than your average G-Wagon, that is for sure!

While the future for Cambli in the CAF is looking minimal, the company has still seen wide success elsewhere. The company secured a new contract with the RCMP this year for up to 27 Blackwolfs. They also received a new contract with Correctional Services of Canada, though I don't know for how many.

They still get plenty of orders, and as I know it, expansion is planned. Will the company ever truly break into the defence market? That is harder to predict. The competition here is fierce, and internationally the company has yet to find its breakout moment.

However, they do make for a great fun fact here!

Zeal Motors Fat Truck

Zeal Motors is another Quebec-based company that has found its niche. Founded in 2018 by Maxim O'Shaughnessy, Benoît Marleau, and Amine Khimjee, all veterans of the automotive industry, the company was founded to address what they saw as a gap in the market for Rugged, Heavy Off‑Road Vehicles in Canada.

Having originally set up shop at the former Hyundai facilities in Bromont, Quebec, the company launched its first product in 2019, the adorably named Fat Truck.

Fat Truck is a rugged, off-road, amphibious utility vehicle capable of carrying both personnel and cargo through challenging environments such as swamps, snowfields, rocky terrain, and even shallow water. Many will see the similarities to another platform in the Ukrainian/Canadian SHERP.

While both share similar design choices and capabilities, I should note that they are not exact to each other, and despite some claims, Fat Truck is neither a licensed nor copied version of SHERP. They merely share a design lineage with each other.

The Fat Truck family comprises several different vehicles, ranging from compact 4-passenger pickups to large 8x8 wagons designed to carry significant payloads across some of the harshest environments Canada has to offer.

The standard Fat Truck (wagon or pickup) measures roughly 2,540–2,565mm wide, and 2,620–2,565 mm tall, with an approximate length (depending on variant) in the ballpark of 3,720mm long, giving it a footprint and bulk well beyond typical ATVs or light off‑roaders yet still compact relative to full-size trucks.

The larger 8x8 models measure approximately 8255mm in length, 2540mm in width, and 2794mm in height, with a generous ground clearance of 635 mm.

In its base version, Fat Truck uses a Caterpillar 2.2‑litre four‑cylinder turbo‑diesel engine delivering about 74 hp and 199 lb‑ft torque. This provides Fat Truck a generous top speed of approximately 40 km/h. When traversing water, flotation-capable tires and hull design provide a maximum speed of 5 km/h. Fuel capacity is around 70 liters for the standard models, providing a range of roughly 400 km.

For the 8x8 variants, the powerplant jumps to a 3.8‑litre, four‑cylinder turbo‑diesel from Cummins, rated at 173 hp and 457 lb‑ft torque. The 8x8 maintains similar speeds both on land and water to the smaller variants, though with a fuel capacity of roughly 120 liters it maintains a greater estimated range of 450-500 km.

Of course, the defining feature of the Fat Truck is in its tires. Fat Truck uses oversized, low‑pressure, high‑flotation tires designated “FAT TRUCK LGP 1640 × 640 × 610.”

Tire pressure can be adjusted on the fly, with Fat Truck maintaining in the range 0.5 to 6 psi depending on terrain. This gives the vehicle extremely low ground pressure. Fully loaded, the 8×8 variant exerts as little as 1.9 psi on the ground, a footprint significantly lighter than a human footprint in comparative terms.

The base Fat Truck can carry up to 8 passengers or a payload of roughly 1,000kg making them suitable for crew transport, light cargo, or industrial maintenance. By contrast, the 8×8 configuration expands both carrying capacity and operational flexibility, accommodating up to 16 passengers or 2,260kg of cargo, and can tow additional loads when required.

Fat Truck can be used in several configurations, including as a Hauler, Transport, Dismountable Lift Platform, Hook Lift Platform, and as a Medical Response Vehicle.

Originally designed to support Energy Infrastructure, Mining, and Remote Logistics, the platform is increasingly seeing interest in the Emergency Response and Defense market.

In 2024, the company formally established a dedicated branch, Fat Truck Defense, aimed squarely at delivering mobility solutions to defence, emergency response, Arctic operations, and search-and-rescue roles.

As part of this strategic expansion, Zeal Motor has also forged an exclusive partnership with Rheinmetall Canada. Through this partnership, Rheinmetall's advanced autonomous vehicle and integration expertise, notably its PATH autonomous system, is being leveraged to create FAT TRUCK-derived military and support vehicles.

These vehicles are intended to serve in roles ranging from logistics and personnel transport to autonomous/uncrewed ground systems for reconnaissance, medical evacuation, communication relay, and CBRN detection.

To also facilitate this expansion, the company inaugurated a new, modern headquarters/factory located in Cowansville, Quebec in 2023. Zeal Motor claims a production capacity of up to 500 units per year, running two assembly lines for its range of Fat Truck vehicles and associated trailers.

If you are ever up north, especially around Cambridge Bay, you might spot a few Fat Trucks running around. These vehicles are used primarily for base logistics and transport across the Arctic region. Sadly I don't know how many are in service, and I haven't received an answer back about how many might be running around.

Nevertheless, it remains one of my personal favorites. I love these kinds of vehicles. They look so cool, and feel like they would be an absolute thrill to go off-roading in! My dream goal if I get to Quebec is to find a way to get Zeal to let me ride around in one.

So maybe I'm a bit biased when talking about them! How can you hate them? They're just so cool! While DAME aims to acquire a Tracked, Articulated vehicle for Arctic Mobility, platforms like Fat Truck will very likely continue to coexist as complementary platforms.

With the current reorganization the army is going through though, along with plans to massively expand the supplementary reserves, there might still be space across Canada, especially with the Defence of Canada Division taking on a more domestic response role, for platforms like Fat Truck.

Tracks will always be superior in the Arctic. They will always be the preferred platform for Arctic mobility, but there are still many such environments across Canada where a platform like Fat Truck, especially again in a domestic response role, can be of significant value.

So I suspect we will continue to see them around, even in small numbers and perhaps, in the future, we will see them as far more of a mainstay than many expected! Maybe even in the Autonomous role? I like to keep the future fun and open with such ideas!

The Toyota Land Cruiser and Hilux

The Toyota Hilux, mankind's greatest technical. What can I say that has not already been said? Since the Toyota wars saw the Chadian army zooming across the deserts harassing the Invading Libyans with MILANS, the Toyota Hilux has remained the premier platform for Insurgents, rebels, and your local third-world military looking for a technical to slap some guns and rockets on.

Cheap, modular, and with a proven ruggedness that has seen them operate from the Deserts of Iraq to the Jungles of the Congo. There is no better platform for slapping on a DShK and riding around with the boys than the Hilux.

It's no wonder when talking about the Milverado then that people will always bring up the Hilux as a proper replacement, while lambasting how we could never acquire such a perfect vehicle. All in good jest of course. Who doesn't love the occasional Hilux meme? I have about twenty of them on standby!

However, as of this year, we no longer have to ask this question... sort of. If you follow around the newsletter you might remember a very obscure, very quiet project that circulated earlier this year...

The CPAV project aims to acquire a small amount of Commercial Pattern Armoured Vehicles (CPAV) and Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) for use globally, though primarily in Latvia.

The project outlines that suppliers must be able to offer three specific diesel platforms:

• An Armoured Toyota Hilux (8th generation)

• An Armoured Toyota Land Cruiser 76 (LC76)

• An Armoured Toyota Land Cruiser 79 (LC79).

Suppliers cannot pick and choose; they must be able to provide all three vehicles as outlined in the RFP. While the earlier RFI discussed potential quantities and the idea of acquiring the Land Cruiser 78 as well, these were both removed from the Phase I Pre-qualification.

To be considered for the Qualified Suppliers list, suppliers must demonstrate a hard minimum of 10 years in the business of manufacturing and selling armored vehicles based on these specific Toyota platforms.

Suppliers must provide proof that they have sold these Hilux or Land Cruiser 70 series platforms to military or police organizations within Five Eyes or specifically to Germany, France, Belgium, or the Netherlands within the last five years.

This contract also includes an initial two years of Integrated Logistics Support followed by a long-term support contract anticipated to last up to 10 years. Suppliers must be prepared to provide vendor-unique spare parts, operator and maintenance training, and vehicle software updates throughout this period.

There are many such small projects for a few dozen or so commercial vehicles. However, few are as interesting as this one! While it isn't asking for much, the project seems to have evolved to the point where we might actually see a fairly significant amount of Hilux and Land Cruisers in service.

Of course, a lot of this comes thanks to increasing difficulty in keeping the G-Wagon and Milverado fleet operational, as well as ongoing delays to LUV. With a true replacement still out another five years, the need to acquire suitable platforms for operations in places like Latvia continues to push us to look to commercial solutions and Urgent requirements.

Such a purchase is as much about trying to work in the broken system as much as it is acquiring needed capabilities. If both phases of LUV were delivering in the next two years? I doubt we would be seeing this contract.

Nonetheless, it does provide us a fun fact, and is still providing something of value. We can't discount how important a lot of these minor/blue fleet vehicles are to keeping the day-to-day running. In an ideal world, such minor capital equipment projects would be able to be quickly acquired without going through the traditional procurement process.

These kinds of purchases are exactly where ideas like raising that MCE limit to $100m comes from. A project like this shouldn't be bound to the traditional procurement system. Units and base commanders should have the authority to acquire such vehicles under their own authority.

That extends to a lot of other minor equipment, but projects like CPAV are prime examples of the higher-end value to this system. It means relatively inexpensive, yet valuable equipment like trucks and blue fleet vehicles can be quickly acquired and cycled out before they become an issue.

Anyways, enough of a rant. This is still cool in my books, and means that I can continue to make CANHILUX jokes for the foreseeable future. Hopefully one day we'll get some photos of them!

There are many other vehicles in these categories that I have not mentioned, from ATV to Troop Carriers like the famous Logistiford. As of right now, several such projects for things like 4x4 Troop Carriers and Arctic Mobility Amphibious Vehicles are ongoing.

Of course, I will keep track of them all as they go through the process, so don't fret! There are still many more of these obscure and fun vehicles in the pipeline for us to talk about in the future.

It goes to show though how incomplete many resources are. Online sources like Wikipedia maintain strict requirements for what can be included. I actually support some strictness, however, it does mean a lot of these cool, obscure vehicles do oftentimes never get mentioned, and so slip into obscurity.

It is a shame too because they're all really cool platforms to talk about, and do go to show that even though larger projects have been slow and dragged out that there is new, cool equipment coming in, even in very limited qualities.

There will be more of these obscure vehicle posts! Maybe I'll make this something I do every few months? As new contracts are signed though, I'll definitely need to keep up!