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Senator armored patrol car

The Senator armored patrol car was used during the 2022 counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region. Senator APC is the newest armored vehicle of the Canadian company Roshel Defense Solutions. Production of vehicles began in 2019. The armored vehicle can be equipped with 7.62 mm or 12.7 mm machine guns or a 40 mm automatic grenade launcher. The vehicle has ballistic protection level 7 (CEN B7 / STANAG II) and can withstand gunfire from 50-caliber weapons. The vehicle is also protected from explosions of two DM51 hand grenades or their equivalent – two anti-personnel mines.

Canadian Roshel Senator armored personnel carriers can protect occupants from explosion and bullets up to .30-60 AP. Senator APCs are security task vehicles that are easily maneuverable and adaptable. The vehicles offer state-of-the-art, best-in-class technology and weapons can easily be mounted on them. These vehicles allow for the safe transport of personnel and equipment, and medical evacuations. The vehicles’ armour will help shield troops when they are unable to avoid danger. After the early days of the war, when Ukrainian soldiers were being transported in commercial vehicles with no armour, or captured Russian vehicles, the Senator has been a godsend. It has the same protection class as the Russian Tiger [light armoured vehicle], but the Senator’s armour withstands stronger impact.

Defence Minister Anita Anand visited Kyiv, Ukraine on 18 January 2023, to reaffirm Canada’s unwavering solidarity with Ukraine and to meet with Ukrainian officials, including Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov. Anand unveiled plans to donate to Ukraine an additional 200 Senator APCs (armoured personnel carriers) manufactured by Roshel of Mississauga, Ontario. That’s on top of the eight already purchased for Ukraine by the Canadian government. “This is a war not only for democracy in Ukraine, but also for our own freedom,” Anand told reporters in French. “Since World War II, we have seen peace — but that is no longer the case since Feb. 24 of last year. We must continue to support Ukraine, but also stand in solidarity with our allies and NATO in this important war.”

Canada donated a combination of eight commercial pattern armoured vehicles and Senator APCs purchased from Roshel to Ukraine. This donation was announced on April 26, 2022 and the vehicles were delivered to Ukraine in May 2022. The Canadian government has bought eight Senators for Ukraine, but that is dwarfed by purchases from other countries. NATO and other western allies have bought dozens more since the war broke out. In all, there are at least a hundred Senators currently being used by Ukrainian military and law enforcement agencies engaged in defending the country.

Doubts have been raised over how useful Senator APCs will be to Ukrainian troops on the front lines. The company’s website describes the Senator APC as being designed for “law enforcement and border patrol operations,” providing an advertised CEN 1063-standard armour level of B7 — capable of stopping most small arms up to a .30-06 armour-piercing round — and the highest available protection for civilian-grade armoured vehicles.

Information provided by the Minister’s office said the vehicles are part of a “specific request” from the Ukrainian government. It is expected that all 200 vehicles – which can help transport troops to the front line and assist in medical evacuations – will be shipped to Ukraine by the summer.

“I just announced an additional donation of 200 armored personnel carriers manufactured by Roshel in Mississauga, Ont., which employs approximately 80 Ukrainians who have come to Canada and are now building the vehicles that Ukrainian troops will use to defend their homeland,” she was quoted by the National Post. Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov thanked Canada for the donation but made it clear that his country’s biggest need remains main battle tanks, The Globe and Mail reported.

During their meeting, Minister Anand and Minister Reznikov discussed how Canada can continue to meet Ukraine’s pressing defence needs. Minister Reznikov commended Canada for the over $1 billion in military assistance committed to Ukraine since February 2022. This assistance includes a National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) with associated munitions, 39 armoured combat support vehicles, anti-tank weapons, M777 Howitzers and associated ammunition, and more.

Minister Reznikov updated Minister Anand on the state of the conflict, and Minister Anand strongly condemned Russia’s ongoing attacks on Ukrainian population centres and critical infrastructure. Minister Anand reiterated that Canada will continue to provide Ukraine with the defensive capabilities that it needs to fight and win.

Minister Anand updated Minister Reznikov on the progress of Operation UNIFIER – Canada’s training mission for Ukrainian personnel, currently active in the United Kingdom and Poland. Approximately 230 Canadian Armed Forces personnel are currently deployed on Operation UNIFIER, which has trained over 35,000 Ukrainian security forces personnel since its launch in 2015. Minister Anand highlighted ongoing efforts by the Royal Canadian Air Force Air Mobility Detachment based in Prestwick, Scotland to transport Ukraine-bound military aid donated by Canada, Allies, and partners, and noted that Canada has transported over six million pounds of Ukraine-bound military aid within Europe so far.

The ministers also discussed their upcoming participation in the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG), scheduled January 20, 2023, at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. The ministers agreed on the importance of the UDCG as a forum where Ukraine’s partners can hear directly from Ukrainian officials about the country’s most pressing defence needs, while initiating long-term strategic planning. The ministers resolved to continue frequent discussions on a bilateral basis.

Zelenskyy, who has become renowned for being a creative and effective communicator, clearly had a message for Ottawa. In his answer, he chose to describe the strong, steadfast relationship between Ukraine and Canada as “armoured” — three times. “Canada supports [Ukraine], not just with armoured vehicles. … I can probably say this is an ‘armoured’ support.” And later, about Canada’s diplomatic efforts, Zelenskyy said, “This is an armoured support, and armoured assuredness, I’m very grateful for that support.”

With production moving 24/7, all 200 Senator APC's will be delivered by summer 2023. The company understands that the Ukrainian Defense Forces need armoured vehicles as soon as possible, so they work seven days a week and on holidays.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine received a batch of new Canadian-made MRAP Senator armored personnel carriers. It is noted that, unlike the previous version, the new armored vehicle has improved anti-mine protection, which gives additional advantages when performing various tasks on the battlefield, reports FREEDOM 25 October 2023. “Any unit of armored vehicles is important and necessary for us. This is an armored vehicle for 10 servicemen,” said Ihor Romanenko, the founder of the “Close the sky of Ukraine” foundation.

Unlike the usual Senator armored cars, this version boasts improved protection against mines. As a result, such armored vehicles are more suitable for a wide range of tasks. “The MRAP-type Senator armored car has a V-shaped bottom, and it has been tested to perform combat tasks in mine conditions, for example, if a mine has been hit,” Romanenko explained.

The seats installed in the cabin are equipped with a damping system that minimizes the impact of the energy of the explosion. “This gives importance to this type of machine, which is necessary to solve the problem both in defense and in attack, because in order to overcome the second and third lines in the south of the Zaporizhzhia region, we need to solve problems at the expense of personnel – sappers, and then our infantry on armored vehicles enter these corridors. It is desirable that they have anti-mine protection,” Ihor Romanenko pointed out.

This design also helps to absorb and dissipate the energy of the explosion, further increasing the vehicle’s resistance to it. “Taking into account the fact that the summer experience appeared, namely that the enemy built a sufficiently fortified defense system with a large number of mines of various types, there was a need not just to have armored vehicles, but armored vehicles that could perform tasks in such conditions,” he noted founder of the “Close the sky of Ukraine” fund.

Canadian Senators can withstand Excalibur fire at a range of 30 meters and a speed of 695 m/s. They can also withstand the detonation of a 6-kilogram charge of an anti-tank mine. This modification was presented at the end of the spring 2023.