This Week in Defence (05/11/26): 5080 LAV?! MCAV Update, Canadian HADES? Bill C-31, FASST-V Infobox, Lots Of Random Thoughts, TKMSxGDMSC, Lots Of UGV
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Happy Monday Everyone!
It another rumor-filed week on This Week in Defence! The Army has been a bit behind the Air Force and Navy when it came to crazy plans thanks to having to dedicate so much to Army Mod, but now that it's out we can finally add them to the lists of crazy ideas!
I guess that's the standard now. The CAF is in full 5% mode (for better or worse), and with everyone knowing Defence is a major file, it seems we're destined to see proposals beyond our wildest dreams.
Remember that you can always submit your media and press releases to us at media@truenorthstrategicreview.ca!
Also CanadaxIndo-Pacific, which is a thing! How cool is that!
The latest edition of Steffan Watkins RCN Media and Public Awareness Update is up!
Let's Talk with Noah (04/29/26): Sensors, Naming Vessels, River-class, HUSAR, MK38
TKMS Cooperates with General Dynamics Mission Systems–Canada to establish Arctic Sentinel
AtkinsRéalis to acquire Australia-based Defence advisory consultancy Coras
South Korean Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jeong-kwan concludes Ottawa visit.
MDA Space Secures 41 Early Customer Contracts and Letters of Interest for MDA CHORUS™ Data
U.S. and Canadian Maritime Forces Strengthen Alliance with Atlantic Maritime Security Coalition
Canadian Forces Base Borden Exercise to Simulate Major Air Disaster Response
VERSATILE SPRAY PAINTING JOINS THE ONTARIO DEFENCE ASSOCIATION
Kraken Robotics Signs Memorandum of Understanding with SEFINE SISAM
Telesat reports results for the quarter ended March 31, 2026
Q1 2026: KONGSBERG reports strong order intake and revenue growth
Prime Minister Carney speaks with President of the Republic of Korea Lee Jae Myung
MDA SPACE INAUGURATES HIGH-VOLUME SATELLITE MANUFACTURING FACILITY IN MONTRÉAL
RCAF Foundation and SkyAlyne announce Indigenous Scholarship program
J-Squared Expands Ottawa Campus with Nuclear Testing and NATO Storage
Minister Anand meets with NATO Secretary General in Brussels
Agereh Builds Momentum Following Alberta Aerospace & Defence Summit and Joins CADSI
Canada must ramp up military supply chain to prepare for threats, defence chief says
A landmark milestone in global defence finance presents opportunities in Canada
Carney’s Tilt Toward Europe is not Nostalgia, it’s Foresight
Canada eyes Turkey as a fellow mid-power ally in weapons development
Why Canada is seeing its biggest military recruitment surge in 30 years
More public servants needed to administer military mobilization plan: documents
Canada, NZ defense pacts seen to boost PH supply chain security
Watch Sail GP from George’s Island: Great prizes at DND Family Days
Navy Bike Ride Returns to Esquimalt With New Energy and Ambassadors
Engineers win Beaver Cup in a Thrilling Overtime Hockey Game
HMCS Charlottetown joins multinational exercise hosted by Australia
Teal Up for Military Children: Thank You, CFB Halifax & 12 Wing
Expanded mandate and new name for the Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Centre
DM/CDS Message: Strengthening support across the Defence Community
Celebrate Canadian Jewish Heritage Month this May: a message from the Jewish Public Servants Network
This Week in Defences Project and Lobbying Updates are supported by Dominion Dynamics Aurion platform. Aurion is an open data platform designed to increase transparency across Canada's defence procurement ecosystem.
The RFP for UAS for the DFO has been updated with new documenation
The RFP for Line of Communication Bridge Systems has been updated with new documentation
Telesat has filed multiple new records with both themselves and CFN Consultants looking to engage the Federal Government on multiple topics including regulatory fees charged by government for spectrum and orbital slots, new satellite programs, the creation of a National Space Council, the Strategic Innovation Fund, the Companies Capabilities and Offerings, and more.
Kepler Communications has also filed multiple records this week between themselves and StrategyCorp looking to emgage the Federal Government on just about everything including the companies capabilities and offerings, key defence focused policies, programs and initiatives related to dual-use space-based communications, space domain awareness capabilities, increased space and defence collaboration with allies, procurement vehicles, the Defence Investment Agency, strategic partnerships, procurement policies, such as the Buy Canadian Policy, and necessary security clearances. Damn Mina, you aint playing this week are you?
Pomerleau has filed a new communication detailing meetings with David McGuinty and Peter Hammerschmidt
• ALAV is dead. Long Live Armoured Combat Vehicle - Wheeled (ACV-W)! This new project covers both future LAV and ACSV as far as I know, merging the file into one general procurement based off a common platform. Makes sense.
ACV-W is an ongoing, continuous initiative stretching out past 2035. It aims to create a continuous procurement platform for the LAV family, with goals to more than double the fleet over the next decade.
ACV-W is still a very early concept in itself, and I can't say what of all is included. The priority will be on a agile-form of procurement, focusing on incremental improvements and upgrades to the family over a set timeline.
ACV-W will be used to also explore new, emerging technologies like hybrid-drive, Lithium Battery Systems, Next-Generation Mobile Camouflage systems amd Active Protection Systems, UxS integration, and Counter-Drone Technologies.
Armament is still being worked on but ATGM and Loitering Munitions being integrated from the start seem very liekly. Leading calibre of the main gun in currently 30mm but that could, and some are arguing should change.
The current expectations financially is set at ~$62-86 billion dollars depending heavily on how many we end uo procuring. The lowest number given is 2300, while the Army would prefer 3908 to meet NATO commitments.
The highest number though, which assukes a full of society mobilization in a major global conflict calles for a staggering 5080 LAV! Over five times the current inventory.
ACV-W is still unfunded though, and for now the numners remain flexible, esepcially considering that ACV-W will not be a one time procurement but a vehicle for sustained procurement over a decade+. Still, makes you wonder.
• Speaking of Armoured Vehicles. There is some things about MCAV that haven't really been mentioned that probably should be just for people to know. So consider this the quickfire round of information.
MCAV is expected, like LAV, to be a family of systems beyond a cavalry vehicle. Variants being explored include Ambulance, Command Post, Mortars, Engineer, Repair, and Recovery. All fairly common.
MCAV is expected to be heavily AI defined, leveraging both internal AI systems and being able to support Manned-Unmanned cooperation withAutonomous support platforms like UAS and UGV out the box.
The bottom number for MCAV is 250, yes, however the top number has now jumped up to ~800 innthe highest scenario. It is, like ACV-W, very flexible and open at the moment to what is done. However, it still presents a big opportunity for many.
• One of you called me out for it, but I guess I never mentioned them here. The Canadian Deep Sensing and EW Aircraft (CDSEA) exists. There isn't much on it, as I am told a lot of the capabilities being discussed haven't been settled on. It is described to me as ‘HADES-like’, which made me shed a tear of happiness.
So like I can't say much on it, pther than that maybe a common fleet of different Global aircraft maybe isn't far fetched, and might be closer than I dreamed. We are truly blessed. Please RCAF don't fuck this up.
• The RFI for the RCAF Air-Launched Effects Project should be dropping shortly.
• As an update, the Space-Based Moving Target Indicator (SB-MTI) Project I'm told is a but away from releasing anything.
• So Dave kinda mentioned the current mobilization proposal today, and I don't have much to add but that the 100,000 PRes and 300,000 Augment, which we were the first to report in July thank you very much, is still accurate to the current numbers. Next week I will have more to discuss.
CDSEA…that’s a mouthful. But at least it’s finally the operational EW capability that we have always needed. Sounds like it would just be a passive ISR platform. Perhaps with satellite coverage and CCAs with electronic attack (EA) it won’t be a Growler capability. EA is a tad risky since it gives your position away while masking that of your attackers. While I was among the few Canadians to graduate as a USAF EWO and flew the EW Voodoo, on the air staff we tried to give the Challenger a robust ELINT and ECM capability as possible, but more $ went into aircraft mods than into developing EW. There is a core of EW technical capability in the Ottawa area so I hope that the CDSEA can use the development money that is now available to make it happen. Geez, when I think of back then we established what was at first called the EW Systems and Training Project, only to be told that we had to take the warfare out of Electronic Warfare. So the project was called the Electronic Support and Training (EST) Project. Here we were in DND/CAF and we were being told that we couldn’t use the proper NATO terminology and we couldn’t use “Warfare” in a military organization or it wouldn’t be approved by PWPSC or TB!!
Greg the LAV is here to stay yippee 🥳