LAV 6.0 Light Armoured Vehicle
The LAV 6.0 was the designation given by the Canadian Army to its enhanced LAV III platform, upgraded specifically to respond to requirements emerging from a decade of in-theatre experience in Afghanistan.
The LAV 6.0 was equipped with an upgraded, next-generation 6.0 suspension and a 450-hp power pack. It offers enhanced protection provided by its blast-deflecting double-VTM hull and energy attenuating seating, while also improving ingress and egress. The vehicle also features a fully digital electronic architecture with increased electrical generation and situational awareness, improved turret human factors and upgraded sight systems.
The LAV 6.0 saw its first operational deployment internationally in 2017 when it accompanied Canadian soldiers deployed in Latvia in support of Operation REASSURANCE.
In 2016, General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada furthered the modularity of the LAV 6.0 family by introducing the LAV 6.0 combat support vehicle (CSV). The LAV 6.0 CSV combines additional mission flexibility with the commonality and protection offered by the LAV 6.0 baseline variant. Equipped with remote weapon systems (RWS) for self-defence, the LAV 6.0 CSV was available in the command post, ambulance and maintenance and recovery vehicle variants.
As of the end of April 2019, the last of 550 modernized light armoured vehicles (LAVs) were in the field with Regular Force units across the country. For a program that has seen the scope of work expanded twice, the schedule adjusted several times, and technical changes added even after the vehicles began rolling out in 2013, that’s no small feat.
“LAV UP was a fast project,” said Major Pierre Larrivee, who has led the program since the Army first began analyzing options to upgrade the LAV III to what was now being called the LAV 6.0. “Whenever you go fast, you sometimes have to retrofit. But [with this project], that has not meant just correcting; it has also enhanced the capability with small improvements,” he explained as he prepares to hand over responsibility from Director of Land Requirements (DLR) to the equipment management team with the Director Armoured Vehicle Program Management (DAVPM).
General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada (GDLS-Canada) was first awarded a contract in October 2011 to upgrade 409 of the Army’s 651 LAV III armored personnel carriers in four variants: an infantry section carrier, a command post, an observation post, and an engineer vehicle. That was later expanded on Feb. 17, 2017 by 141 vehicles to 550. In November 2012, a contract option was exercised to upgrade an additional 66 configured for reconnaissance and surveillance under the acronym LRSS UP. Though it was a separate project, many of the upgrades overlap. In total, the value of the LAV upgrade project was estimated at over $1.5 billion. “We have nearly completed production of the second phase (141) of the LAV upgrade,” said Doug Wilson-Hodge, a former reserve armoured corps officer and manager of corporate affairs, “and we are in the qualification phase with LRSS.”
While other manufacturers may offer larger vehicles with more capability in certain conditions, GDLS believes the LAV 6.0 brings the best overall balance in the triangle of protection, mobility and lethality. And the human factors engineering on the LAV was better than other vehicles. GDLS-Canada itself calls the LAV a rolling example of its investments in research and development. In fact, the LAV 6.0 began as a demonstrator called the LAV H. The company had been conducting research on mobility, protection, vetronics and firepower, gathering its own lessons on emerging threats from the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.
LAV-6 ACSV Armoured Combat Support Vehicle - Upgrades
Just doing R&D updates and reviews wasn’t enough. GDLS elected to build a demonstrator that combined a lot of the technologies we were looking at so that armies could feel the product rather than just see it in a presentation. One of the primary drivers of that R&D was the electronic architecture, understanding how to better integrate systems within the vehicle and then communicate data. Though the LAV 6.0 was not a paragon of vetronics, GDLS was able to get enough hooks for componentry in the vehicle that we can now build off of that into a much more flexible architecture that would allow for upgrades of the system.
As an example, the Army was gradually integrating Capability Pack TOPAZ into the LAV 6.0 as part of its Land Command Support System life extension project. CP TOPAZ was the new computer hardware and tactical battlefield management software that would allow vehicle crews to share positional and other information among themselves and communicate with higher battle group or brigade headquarters. It wasn’t ready when the first vehicles rolled off the production line in London, Ont., in 2013, but GDLS-Canada installed the wiring and space for cabinetry in anticipation.
Most customers are introducing more sensors into their vehicles, so GDLS focused R&D on data distribution and presentation, and was starting to work at how to manage higher volumes of sensor and other information and present it in a manner that was meaningful and timely for the crew. That includes investment in systems with greater autonomy to reduce the crew’s visual and cognitive loads, such as camera systems that allow operators to stay under armour as long as possible with high resolution displays, or easy to navigate menu systems and warning systems that don’t overload what a driver has to do when driving. At the same time, customers are also insisting on the ability to operate when access to sensor feeds, networks and GPS was limited or denied. They want to get the full capability out of the technology when they have it, but they always want a reversionary mode.
Though it wasn’t part of the original Canadian Army LAV 6.0 requirements, GDLS-Canada was also monitoring evolving Army doctrine to ensure the LAV has the capabilities to operate in urban environments and to work with and defend itself from unmanned systems. Urban operations was one of the security environments Canada and other customers have a focus on. It was really a combination of situational awareness capabilities that are unique to that environment and also the agility to move around in the battlespace.
One of the biggest concern: battery technology and power consumption. Users are consuming a lot of batteries, as the current battery life of a battery was about three years, which does not meet the demands of modern operators. In part, that’s because soldiers recharge phones and other devices from one of the two outlets at the rear of the LAV 6.0. But it’s also a result of tactics. In a typical attack in a training exercise, a LAV might drive a short distance and then go into silent watch for 30 minutes. The batteries are not charging. The problem was only going to get worse as the Army introduces electronic counter measures to the LAV and integrates CP TOPAZ with its dismounted soldier system network. One assessment conducted for the Integrated Soldier System Suite project found that their power requirement was nearly 20 percent of the vehicle.
Projects such as the LAV reconnaissance and surveillance suite upgrade are investigating a battery pack based on a lithium alloy, but that could contribute to another problem the Army was trying to address — electromagnetic interference. “The more we plug in, the more we emit,” he observed, and the electronic signature of the vehicle was a growing concern.
GDLS-Canada identified power consumption as an issue early on and increased power generation in the LAV 6.0 with a larger alternator system. While they focused on how to distribute that power around the vehicle in a flexible and upgradable manner, more energy-related R&D projects are being conducted.
Both the company and the Army are exploring the role of health usage and monitoring systems (HUMS). As a first step, the Army was installing a data logger on some vehicles that would be downloaded at regular intervals. It’s not real-time maintenance data, but it would provide technicians with more information about the vehicle. Whether that becomes a full HUMS capability would depend. Cyber security was paramount, and the LAV was the platform of choice for cyber research.
What the LAV pioneered, others have capitalized on. Elements of the double V mine-blast resistant hull, the suspension structure, and the electronic architecture have all been leveraged for the U.S. Army’s Stryker combat vehicle upgrade program.
LAV-6 ACSV Armoured Combat Support Vehicle - Design
The LAV 6 (sometimes LAV 6.0 or LAV VI ) was the fourth generation of LAV wheeled armored fighting vehicles, based on the LAV III. The first machines were produced in 2013 and after thorough testing were adopted by the Canadian army in 2016. The Canadian Army plans to replace all existing vehicles of previous generations of LAVs (in particular, LAV II and LAV III ) with LAV 6. Two main variants are being adopted: an infantry fighting vehicle with a 25 mm M242 Bushmaster chain gun, and an armored auxiliary vehicle - the Armored Combat Support Vehicle (ACSV).
With an inherent Double-V™ hull and energy attenuated seats, the LAV 6.0 provides world-class protection. The vehicle also features an upgraded driveline, suspension, larger tires, and a more powerful engine to deliver significantly increased payload and superior mobility performance. Advanced electronics and sight upgrades provide improved target identification and weapon accuracy, all packaged in a turret with enhanced ergonomics and safety.
The LAV 6.0 was equipped with an upgraded, next-generation 6.0 suspension and a 450-hp power pack. It offers enhanced protection via its blast-deflecting double-VTM hull and energy-attenuating seating, while also improving ingress and egress. The vehicle also features a fully digital electronic architecture with increased electrical generation and situational awareness, improved turret human factors and upgraded sight systems.
The LAV 6.0 was a refinement of the lessons gained from a decade of experience in Afghanistan and elsewhere. Over 350 of its predecessor, the LAV III, were damaged during the mission, three dozen beyond repair, from small arms, rocket-propelled grenades, and improvised explosive devices. To develop the mandatory requirements, the project team drew from more than 1,600 lessons learned since the LAV III was first introduced in 1999, including 300 interviews with crew commanders, gunners, drivers and maintenance technicians to identify 700 improvements.
The result was a “perfect triangle” of protection, mobility and lethality with the electronic architecture to integrate into a digitized network as part of the Army’s future concept of adaptive dispersed operations. Though it was labeled an upgrade project, little of the original LAV III remained. The LAV 6.0 addressed protection with a double-V hull with energy attenuated seating; mobility with a new suspension and driveline and a more powerful 450 horsepower Caterpillar engine and larger Michelin tires; and lethality through improved turret components and layout. What was retained, in addition to the 25mm M242 Bushmaster automatic cannon, turret drive, heater, and automatic fire suppression system, are the core design elements and functionality that have made the LAV the backbone of the Army’s combat vehicle fleet.
Perfecting that triangle, however, was no easy task. Enhanced armoured protection with the same mobility meant a larger vehicle. The baseline weight of the LAV III that deployed to Afghanistan was about 36,000 pounds – it surpassed 42,000 with add-on armour. After the Army added new belly and side armour, an enhanced weapon station and attenuating seats as part of the LAV Operation Requirement Integration Task (LORIT) program in 2009 to address the threat of IEDs, the vehicle weighed in at 52,000 pounds with personnel and kit piled on.
The LAV 6.0 begins at a baseline weight of 45,000 pounds and increases to 63,000 with the full combat package of added armour protection and ammunition. As the gross vehicle weight grew, though, GDLS-Canada had to enhance the suspension and drive train. That combined to produce a vehicle that was in a much heavier weight class,” acknowledged Steve Child, senior engineer for product and technology development. “We then started looking at how to redistribute the weight in the vehicle to better support the loads and to move the platform in terms of functionality for both weapons and protection systems.”
The primary weapon on the LAV 6.0 was the M242 Bushmaster, capable of firing the NATO standard 25mm round, and two four-tube smoke grenade launchers. It also has a coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun and a 5.56 mm machine gun located on the roof.
LAV-6 ACSV Armoured Combat Support Vehicle - Variants
General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada furthered the modularity of the LAV 6.0 family by introducing the LAV 6.0 combat support vehicle (CSV). The LAV 6.0 CSV combines additional mission flexibility with the commonality and protection offered by the LAV 6.0 baseline variant. Equipped with remote weapon systems (RWS) for self-defence, the LAV 6.0 CSV was available in the command post, ambulance and maintenance and recovery vehicle variants.
The new and modern fleet of Armoured Combat Support Vehicles (ACSV) would provide ambulances, mobile repair and vehicle recovery vehicles, as well as engineer support vehicles and command posts, for both domestic and international operations. The new fleet of 360 ACSVs would all be based on the LAV 6.0 and would replace the current Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV) II Bison and M113 Tracked LAV fleets.
The ACSV are based on the LAV 6.0 platform and would integrate with and support the existing LAV 6.0 platform currently in use by the CAF. This would provide a number of advantages including reduced training and sustainment costs, as well as the availability of common spare parts to fix vehicles quickly during operations.
The LAV Combat Support Vehicle - Maintenance and Recovery uses the fielded LAV 6.0 baseline incorporating variant role-specific solutions that offer highly protected mobile recovery, repair and maintenance capabilities. The Maintenance and Recovery vehicle was able to access the same terrain as the LAV 6.0 fleet and provides integral recovery and maintenance capabilities with the necessary tools and spare equipment. The MR has the same high level of protection and exceptional mobility capability as the baseline configuration, plus the added capabilities to recover a deeply mired vehicle, and perform maintenance across a full spectrum of operations. The internal configuration enables a crew of two, plus two mechanics or casualty passengers under the same level of protection afforded by the baseline LAV 6.0 platform. Tool storage was readily accessible for vehicle recovery and heavy-duty remove and replace operations.
The Maintenance and Recovery variant was designed to carry a maximum crew of four. The MR vehicle was equipped with a ballistic earth anchor on the front for easy positioning and a high capacity winch with a synthetic rope to facilitate quick recovery set up and extraction. A high capacity crane was mounted on the rear of the vehicle that was capable of performing remove and replace operations of the power pack, turret and other lifting tasks such as armour replacement. Various bins and stowage brackets are arranged on the vehicle to house tools, recovery shackles and snatch blocks, and can carry various LRUs for rapid replacement as required to support the mission.
Keeping pace with the LAV 6.0 fleet, the LAV Combat Support Vehicle - Ambulance has the same high level of protection and mobility capability as the baseline configuration, and can evacuate injured over all terrains across the operational spectrum. The Ambulance variant was designed to carry a minimum crew of four and four litter patients with the capability to be field-modified from a 2-litter to a 4-litter internal configuration. The left side of the vehicle was equipped with a mechanized litter lift assembly while the right side of the vehicle was provisioned to allow the stowed litter rack and two additional litters to be rapidly installed, when required. The internal volume provides headroom of 1.85m to conduct primary first aid and emergency life-saving medical procedures. The LAV CSV - A enables medical teams to provide prompt and protected medical treatment in transit, helping save soldiers’ lives.
With almost 550 of the LAV 6.0 delivered, including five in an Air Space Coordination Centre variant, and 66 of the reconnaissance and surveillance vehicles pending, GDLS-Canada was eyeing the next opportunity. It would like to expand the family of vehicles that exists now with more variants. That could include a new ambulance capability, an electronic warfare vehicle, a ground-based air defence system, or any other multirole variant the Army might require.
LAV-6 ACSV Armoured Combat Support Vehicle - Program
In 2009 the Canadian Government decided to upgrade and update their LAV III's the upgraded version was called the LAV VI or LAV 6.0. The project cost was approximately $1.75 billion. This includes acquisition, project management, infrastructure, contracts and contingency costs to upgrade 550 vehicles. This upgrade would improve its survivability against modern threats, IED's and extend the service life of the LAV's to 2035. The LAV III fleet would receive turret and chassis (hull) upgrades, which would improve the protection, mobility, and lethality of the LAV III platform, while maximizing command support and improving crew ergonomics. The project would capitalize on existing and evolving technology to modernize a portion of the existing LAV III fleet to ensure it remains the backbone of domestic and expeditionary task forces. It would also extend the life span of the LAV to 2035.
This project provided the Canadian Army with a flexible, multi-purpose capability to respond effectively and successfully to the full spectrum of military operations. The first on-schedule delivery of upgraded LAVs was announced in January 2013. Final vehicle delivery occurred in July 2019. The cost for these upgrades cost around 1.75$ Billion. LAV 6.0 were first deployed in Latvia during Operation REASSURANCE in 2017.
Although vehicle deliveries are complete, the delivered vehicles still had technical issues that need to be fixed through a retrofit program in a timely and synchronized manner to support managed-readiness training cycle. The project was addressing a number of technical issues identified through the fielding and increased use of the vehicles. All the technical issues ere tracking toward resolution as of December 2018, along with their eventual fleet implementation.
The cost of the ACSV project was $2.52 billion. This includes acquisition, project management costs, infrastructure, contracts and contingency. COVID-19 had an impact on all procurement projects in some form. Challenges may impact the project schedule or cost to varying degrees, as the full impacts continue to be assessed. In collaboration with industry partners, the gvernment worked on mitigation measures where possible, while keeping respective workforces safe.
On September 5, 2019, Public Services and Procurement Canada, on behalf of National Defence, awarded a contract to GDLS–C at a value of $2,006,116,771.19 (including taxes) for 360 ACSV, initial spare parts, technical manuals, and training. Various kits are also included in the procurement, such as add on armour, mine blast, enhanced crew protection, laser warning system, side protection, and remote weapon station kits. The Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) Policy was applied to the ACSV Implementation Contract. Total ITB obligation was $1.775 billion. The contract was awarded thought a non-competitive process following direct engagement with General Dynamics Land Systems – Canada, the Original Equipment Manufacturer of the Light Armoured Vehicle 6.0.
The project would replace the M113 Tracked Light Armoured Vehicle and Light Armoured Vehicle II (Bison) fleets. The project would deliver a protected support vehicle to sustain the Canadian Army light and heavy armoured fighting vehicle fleets on domestic and expeditionary operations. It would be a general-utility combat support vehicle that would fulfill a wide variety of support roles on the battlefield, including but not limited to protected command vehicles, ambulances and mobile repair teams. It would provide a high degree of maneuverability and protection to its crew and payload.
General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada (GDLSC) held a virtual ceremony 03 May 2021 to celebrate the 'roll-out' of the armoured combat support vehicle (ACSV) created for the Canadian military. The new ACSV design was completed at the end of 2020. The program was first announced in August of 2019. The ACVSs are designed to be more mobile, have a longer operating range and better protect soldiers during operations in high-threat environments.
Minister of National Defence Harjit Sajjan participated in the event remotely. “You do critical work for Canada every single day…because of your skill and dedication, Canadian Forces members will soon have combat support vehicles they can rely on,” he said.
London Mayor Ed Holder, London North Centre MP Peter Fragiskatos and London West MP Kate Young, among others, were present to celebrate the ‘roll-out.’ “‘We are so grateful for the ongoing support for advanced manufacturing in London, and for this facility in particular, the positive economic impact represented by GDLS Canada was felt not only here in London but across the province and around the country,” said Holder. “For nearly 20-years, GDLSC has employed thousands of Londoners, all dedicated to building the equipment our military needs to conduct operations at home and abroad. GDLSC was a pillar of our local economy in London and certainly in the southwest region of Ontario as well,” Fragiskatos added.
The contract was set to help sustain over 1,700 jobs at GDLSC's London facility alongside thousands of direct and indirect jobs throughout its network of Canadian suppliers. The subcontracts represent over $137 million in investments to more than 30 Canadian businesses from coast to coast to coast, creating and sustaining over 400 jobs across the country, the Canadian Armed Forces said.
Government of Canada lifted a freeze on weapons exports to Saudi Arabia and has renegotiated a much-criticized $11.3 billion (CA$14.8 billion) contract to sell General Dynamics Corp LAV VI (marketed as the LAV “6.0”) armored vehicles to Saudi Arabia. The “significant improvements” to the contract would secure thousands of jobs at the U.S. firm’s Canadian subsidiary, where the vehicles are being made. Under the terms of the renegotiated agreement, Canada could delay or cancel permits without penalty if it discovered Saudi Arabia was not using the vehicles for their stated purpose. Ottawa would also boost its scrutiny of all proposed weapons sales Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said on 10 April 2020.
Some of the 900 combat vehicles would be fitted with an autoloading 105 mm anti-tank gun, known as the Cockerill CT-CV 105HP Weapon System (gun and turret). This weapon can also fire a Falarick 105 missile, which can hit a target at distances up to 5,000 m and can perforate up to 550 mm of armour. The rest would be fitted with a CPWS 20-25-30, which can be armed from a 20 mm to a 30 mm autocanon and 150 ready to fire munition.
The announcement marked a retreat by the Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who said in December 2018 he was looking for a way out of the deal. A month earlier the government had frozen new permits pending a review. Human rights groups and political opponents, citing the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the Yemen war, had insisted Ottawa scrap a deal agreed by the previous Conservative government in 2014. The cancellation of this $11.3 billion contract—or even the mere disclosure of any of its terms—could have resulted in billions of dollars in damages to the Government of Canada. This would have put the jobs of thousands of Canadians at risk, not only in Southwestern Ontario but also across the entire defence industry supply chain, which includes hundreds of small and medium enterprises.
In June 2022, Canada announced 39 brand new Armoured Combat Support Vehicles (ACSVs) — 30-tonne, eight-wheeled machines manufactured in London, Ont., by General Dynamics Land Systems Canada, originally destined for delivery to the Canadian military — would instead be sent to Ukraine. Trudeau pledged 01 July 2023 the Canadian Army, especially in light of decisions at the NATO summit, would not go without. "Stocks for the Canadian military will be replenished as quickly as possible," he said. "We need to make sure that the women and men of the Canadian Forces have the equipment they need to continue their mission and step up as necessary. We also recognize that the best use, right now, of things like howitzers and sniper rifles and all of the other equipment we've been sending to Ukraine — the best use for Canadian security, for geopolitical stability — was to put them in the hands of Ukrainians."
