CASR

Canadian
American
Strategic
Review

CCV Armoured Vehicles  –  DND/CF Backgrounder  –  July 2009 CCV  —  Future Land Combat Systems'  Close Combat Vehicle This  DND Backgrounder announces the CCV, a planned infantry fighting vehicle. The CF already has IFVs in the form of  LAV IIIs  but  DND takes pains to emphasize that  CCVs are to be 'medium- weight' vehicles with more armour protection and tactical mobility. Translation: CCV will be tracked and will not be compromised by the LAV's weight and size restrictions.  In other words, a CCV need not squeeze itself onto smaller Hercules transport aircraft (which the LAV IIIs never do in any case). Other than 108 CCVs being bought (with options on 30 more) and that these will be 25 to 45 tonne vehicles, there are few details to be had. The expected  timeline is contract awards by mid-2011,  Initial Operational Capability by July 2012, and  fully operational by July 2015. DND's usual In-Service Support contract (likely for 20 years) is included. As the Backgrounder notes,  CCV is part of  a Family of  Land Combat Vehicles – aka the Family of  Land Combat Systems (FLCS).  But CCV represents the only completely new vehicle category within this Family. In all likelihood, this also means a newly built vehicle – the CV90 and Puma have been mentioned.  In a Modest Proposal, we suggested  that  rebuilt Marder IFVs had emerged as a dark horse.[1] We had assumed a degree of  urgency  for CCVs. With fully operational status not required until the summer of  2015, DND seems to be moving on CCV at its usual leisurely pace.  Of course, if  the CF's mission in Kandahar is extended beyond 2011, DND may find that unfamiliar levels of efficiency are needed. [1] Maximum Canadian economic stimulation through large-scale involvement of  local industry seemed the most probable way of gaining public acceptance for the CCV. As paradoxical as it sounds in light of opinion polls on the Afghanistan mission, the CCV will make most sense to the Canadian citizenry as an urgent requirement for Kandahar. DND/Canadian Forces News Release Backgrounder  —  Close Combat Vehicle  [ CCV or  ' Infantry Fighting Vehicle' ] BG - 09.016 - July 8, 2009 The Close Combat Vehicle (CCV) will provide the Canadian Forces with a medium- weight infantry fighting vehicle that is both highly protected and tactically mobile. Unlike the other vehicles in the Family of  Land Combat Vehicles [ FLCV ], the CCV is not replacing [an existing vehicle type]  in the current  Canadian Forces fleet. Instead, the CCV will bridge the gap between  light armoured vehicles ( five to 20 tonnes) and heavy armoured vehicles (more than 45 tonnes), coming in between 25 and 45 tonnes. The CCV will allow infantry to operate in intimate support of the Leopard 2 tanks, pro- viding the Army with a more balanced and  integrated  fleet. This vehicle's reliable pro- tection and enhanced mobility and firepower will improve our troops' combat effective- ness on the battlefield of  today and  tomorrow. The CCV project will  involve the procurement and  fielding of  the armoured vehicles as well as the development and implementation of a through-life in-service support contract  [ such DND ISS contracts generally being of 20 years duration]. The Canadian Forces will acquire 108  [of  these]  vehicles  with an option for up to 30 more [CCVs]. The contract is scheduled to be awarded by summer [of] 2011 with initial operational capability (IOC) declared one year later in July 2012.  The CCV is expected to reach full operational capability by July 2015. The procurement process will be a competitive military off-the-shelf approach. A letter of interest and price and availability (LOI/P&A) will be issued shortly. The project's definition phase will include a solicitation of interest and qualifications (SOIQ) and a request for proposals (RFP). The Government of Canada's Industrial and Regional Benefits [IRB] policy applies to this project, meaning that the winning company must generate economic activity in Canada, dollar for dollar equal to the contract value.