The first of 360 new Armoured Combat Support Vehicles (ASCVs) was officially accepted by the Canadian Army, the Canadian Armed Forces and the Department of National Defence announced on 19 October, ahead of the expected 2025 delivery, acquired from General Dynamic Land Systems Canada as part of a C$2bn ($1.46bn) investment made in 2019. 

The expected initial delivery date of 2025, laid out in Canada’s defence policy, was hastened by intervention from National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces. Procured through the Armoured Combat Support Vehicle project, the ACSVs will replace the current Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV) II Bison and the M113 Tracked LAV. 

With the full delivery expected to contain eight variants, the first four, delivered this month, are a Type 2 ambulance variant intended to treat a wide range of injuries, and will go into service with CFB Petawawa. As of September 2023, 91 Type 2 variants have been produced, and another 39 have been donated to Ukraine. Other variants include: Command Post; Electronic Warfare; Engineer; Fitter Cargo Vehicle; Maintenance and Recovery Vehicle; Mobile Repair Team; and Troop Cargo Vehicle. In the coming months, 49 more ACSVs will be delivered to bases stretching across Canada. 

“Modernising, renewing and improving our capabilities within the Canadian Armed Forces is essential to keep Canada safe in a world that grows more complex, and I am pleased to see the first variant of the Armoured Combat Support Vehicles project being delivered today,” said General W.D. Eyre, Chief of the Defence Staff. “These ambulances, which were much needed, will provide enhanced protection for our personnel when it matters most, whether they are at home or abroad.”

When the contract for the procurement of the ACSVs was signed in 2019, Canada National Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan described LAVs as “the backbone of the army’s combat fleet” supporting personnel on a range of operations including domestic disaster and overseas peace support missions.