# Revamped Bison repair vehicle delivered to CF



## Nfld Sapper (30 May 2009)

Revamped Bison repair vehicle delivered to CF
by Sgt Todd Berry

MIRAMICHI, N.B. — The first revamped Bison Mobile Repair Team (MRT) vehicle was delivered to the CF in April. 

This Bison variant was developed to provide the CF with a light armoured vehicle (LAV) capable of providing battlefield first- and second-line maintenance and limited recovery capabilities. 

The vehicle provides electrical and mechanical engineering technicians with the capability to conduct all required maintenance tasks under all operational conditions, day or night. 

“Like anything, we won’t be able to please everyone, but this is much more user-friendly than the old MRT,” said Master Warrant Officer Joel VanSnick, system engineer technician, wheeled light armoured vehicle life extension (Bison), with Director Armoured Vehicle Program Management. “We’re here to protect the soldiers and give them the best equipment possible – get them on the battlefield to do their job and get them off the battlefield safe and sound and bring them home to their families.” 

“We’re here to protect the soldiers and give them the best equipment possible – get them on the battlefield to do their job and get them off the battlefield safe and sound and bring them home to their families.”

—Master Warrant Officer Joel VanSnick 
The reconfigured MRT incorporates features such as increased horsepower and carrying capacity. An integrated Palfinger crane can now lift a LAV III power-pack and combat-loaded turret with add-on armour. A Rotzler winch allows both self-recovery and light recovery of other vehicles. 

The vehicle has been improved with protective add-on armour. This is a modular system of armoured plates that are fitted to the vehicle, resulting in more protection for the crew in varying threat scenarios. 

As well, a state-of-the-art automated fire and explosion suppression system (AFESS) better protects personnel and equipment in an environmentally friendly manner. 

The vehicle is also fitted with an air conditioning system to increase the crew’s comfort and effectiveness, especially in some of the hot climates where the CF has and can be deployed. 

The Reserve Force originally purchased the Bison for training in Canada, but it was subsequently adopted by the Regular Force. It has already proven itself in Somalia, Eritrea, the former Yugoslavia, Haiti and Afghanistan. 

The vehicle has proven to be robust, surviving mine strikes and battle damage in Somalia, Eritrea and Afghanistan. 

Drawing on lessons learned from veteran operators, the project team was successful in developing an MRT capable of meeting the needs of soldiers deployed on missions today and in the future. 

The MRT’s roll-out represents a key accomplishment for the wheeled light armoured vehicle life extension project, and will likely be the last variant of the Bison family of vehicles to be produced. 

Brigadier-General Camil Giguère, Director General Land Equipment Program Management, accepted the Bison MRT on DND’s behalf from General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada and DEW Engineering and Development. 

“I’m really happy, for the soldiers, for the work that you guys have put into this program,” BGen Giguère said to DEW Engineering and Development employees taking part in the roll-out ceremony. “We’ve looked at recovery and repair as a capability and we tried to fit this vehicle with the right equipment so that it would complement everything that we have now in-theatre,” he said








_edited to insert article link_


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## nickinguelph (30 May 2009)

Nice to see this happening 

Though, what a small world, the MWO quoted in the article is my ex-brother in-law... lol!


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## 1feral1 (1 Jun 2009)

NFLD Sapper said:
			
		

> Revamped Bison repair vehicle delivered to CF
> by Sgt Todd Berry



Here is the current Aussie variant, known as a Type 3 ASLAV 'F' (Fitter) for comparison, taken at Shoalwater bay on my first FTX back from Iraq in May 2007..

Another Type 3 variant called the 'R' (Recovery) is also used and both vehicles are RAEME manned. I'll see if I have a pic of an R.

Both F's and R's on operations use the RWS w/ 12.7mm M2 QCB.

Cheers,

OWDU


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## 1feral1 (1 Jun 2009)

Here is an R, not the best pic, but all I could find (for now).

The F also comes handy for improvised showers too ;D


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## NL_engineer (1 Jun 2009)

I think this is a waste of the CF's money, as this vehicle is not safe for use outside the wire (unless they did some major upgrades).  I am not going to post reasons at this time, as they may be OPSEC.


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## PuckChaser (1 Jun 2009)

NL_engineer said:
			
		

> I think this is a waste of the CF's money, as this vehicle is not safe for use outside the wire (unless they did some major upgrades).  I am not going to post reasons at this time, as they may be OPSEC.



I'd have to agree with you on this one, I crew commanded a Bison for 7 months overseas, and did not enjoy the road moves I had to roll in. If I follow your train of thought, NL_Engineer, they have not upgraded anything in that respect with the midlife upgrade of the Bisons. Just some new split rims, a hub cover, and a 2-speed transfer case.


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## NL_engineer (1 Jun 2009)

PuckChaser said:
			
		

> I'd have to agree with you on this one, I crew commanded a Bison for 7 months overseas, and did not enjoy the road moves I had to roll in. If I follow your train of thought, NL_Engineer, they have not upgraded anything in that respect with the midlife upgrade of the Bisons. Just some new split rims, a hub cover, and a 2-speed transfer case.



I have not seen the new ones, but I don't think they addressed the major problems.  

I don't mind crew commanding the Bison, as I have a better chance of surviving the explosion then say the driver/ guys in the back minus the air sentry (I hate driving it for said reason).


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## McG (2 Jun 2009)

NL_engineer said:
			
		

> I think this is a waste of the CF's money, as this vehicle is not safe for use outside the wire ...


To give a little bit of credit, this project was started back in a time that we were still happy employing the G-Wagon outside the wire in KAF (if it was not started before that) and we'd pretty much committed ourselves to paying industry.

Personnaly, I've never liked the idea of upgrading an old fleet to support the fleet that has replaced it.  It always results in different protection and mobility levels.  What happens when your repair or recovery vehicle cannot get to the casualty vehicle because they lack mobility or the threat will remain too high?  What about the ambulance not being able to reach the human casualties located with this same vehicle?

Retaining old vehicles in micro-fleets also means that we're stuck with all the costs and logistic burden of retaining the old fleet but now smaller in size.  We're still stuck with one (or more) LCMM and one (or more) supply manager collecting pay in Ottawa.  We are buying quantities of spare and replacement parts to support the vehicle, we are taking space on shelves, in trucks and on sustainment flights.  We are consuming pers hours to conduct training at the operator and maintainer level.

In the end, I don't think the government has ever provided enough money to buy a complete capability up-front.  The press does not help when they pump out headlines bemoaning the dollar values being put into defence capital spending, and the opposition (regardless of the party at the time) always exacerbates the issue.  These people would probably soil their pants to see all the additional non-capital funds being pumped to sustain little micro-fleets so that we could save a few capital dollars on first acquisitions of new/replacement capabilities  … and that’s not even getting into the capability deficiencies such practices leave us with.


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## X-mo-1979 (2 Jun 2009)

MCG said:
			
		

> What happens when your repair or recovery vehicle cannot get to the casualty vehicle because they lack mobility or the threat will remain too high?  What about the ambulance not being able to reach the human casualties located with this same vehicle?



You hope and pray the Leopard ARV/Badger and tanks are around.They have been deployed all over the south,well outside their AOR many many times.


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## dapaterson (2 Jun 2009)

MCG said:
			
		

> These people would probably soil their pants to see all the additional non-capital funds being pumped to sustain little micro-fleets so that we could save a few capital dollars on first acquisitions of new/replacement capabilities  … and that’s not even getting into the capability deficiencies such practices leave us with.



Appropriate comment for today...


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## NL_engineer (5 Jun 2009)

I don't think it is used for combat recovery, unless you are in the same convoy as one.


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