Expanding Canada’s combat support vehicle fleet to 550

Thursday July 16, 2026 | NATIONAL by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends Prime Minister Mark Carney today announced a new strategic partnership with General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada (GDLS-Canada). Through this partnership, the government will invest nearly $2 billion over four years to build and deliver 190 additional Armoured Combat Support Vehicles (ACSVs). This will expand Canada’s [...] The post Expanding Canada’s combat support vehicle fleet to 550 appeared first on Island Social Trends .

Thursday July 16, 2026 | NATIONAL by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends Prime Minister Mark Carney today announced a new strategic partnership with General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada (GDLS-Canada). Through this partnership, the government will invest nearly $2 billion over four years to build and deliver 190 additional Armoured Combat Support Vehicles (ACSVs). This will expand Canada’s fleet from 360 to 550 vehicles, giving Canada’s troops the equipment they need to protect Canadians and support our allies.

Protecting mobile mission-ready soldiers: The new ACSVs will keep soldiers protected, mobile, and mission-ready in the most demanding environments, as stated in today’s government news release. They combine advanced armour to protect against mines, improvised explosive devices, and enemy fire, with the mobility to keep pace with front-line forces. The additional 190 ACSVs announced today will be utilised in training exercises at CAF bases across the country.

Every vehicle will be designed by Canadian engineers, built with Canadian materials, and assembled by Canadian workers at the GDLS-Canada factory in London, Ontario. As a result, this partnership is expected to create or sustain more than 6,000 high-paying jobs across Canada every year over the next eight years. The work carried out at GDLS-Canada draws on more than 600 Canadian suppliers, in over 100 communities across the country.

From the steelworkers at InterPro in Regina who produce the steel used in the armoured hulls, to the engineers at Thales Canada in Saint-Laurent who design the thermal imaging systems, to the technicians at IMP Aerospace & Defence in Enfield who build specialised components, this contract will strengthen our sovereign supply chain and generate lasting benefits to workers and communities across the country. GDLS-Canada is Canada’s first Strategic Partner under the Defence Industrial Strategy’s Strategic Partnership Framework. Through this framework, we are creating a pathway for Canadian companies to work more closely with the government to build the sovereign capabilities – the armoured vehicles, the drones, and the icebreakers – our Armed Forces need.

Companies selected as Strategic Partners commit to invest in Canadian research and development, grow domestic supply chains, and hire a Canadian workforce. In return, the federal government will act as an anchor customer – accelerating approvals and opening doors to new export markets. Canada’s government is making the generational investments necessary to rebuild and rearm the CAF.

In doing so, we are ensuring these investments strengthen our sovereign supply chains and generate real, lasting benefits for Canadian workers and their communities. ===== RELATED: NEWS SECTIONS: MILITARY & DEFENCE | 45th PARLIAMENT OF CANADA