Canada's tanks

[Kirkhill]

Slovakia shortlists Tulpar and CV90120 for new tank programme, rules out Leopard 2A8 and K2PL purchase

Slovakia's Ministry of Defence has narrowed its light tank programme to two candidates, the Turkish Otokar Tulpar and BAE Systems Hägglunds’ CV90120, excluding Germany’s Leopard 2A8 and the Korean-Polish K2PL Black Panther.

defence-industry.eu

Slovakia is shortlisting the CV90120 and passing on the K2 and Leo 2A8.
It is half the price.
Lower running costs.
Uses a Slovakian designed autoloader.
Is a stablemate to the CV9035 that is being built in Slovakia by the company that builds the CV90120 autoloader.

I think the Turkish offer has an uphill climb.

 

[BdaDug]

Interesting article in this summer's edition of 'Canadian Army Today' magazine on the centralization of the tank force in Edmonton:
Tank Centralization: A bridge to the Army’s future armoured capability | Canadian Army Today

The last paragraphs look forward to ongoing and possible future upgrades. It will be interesting to see how plans evolve in the upcoming months.


Sidebar: Future Upgrades

What comes next for armoured cavalry? The 2024 defence policy update acknowledged that “main battle tanks continue to have a decisive effect on the modern battlefield” and committed to “explore options for upgrading or replacing our tank and light armoured vehicle fleets.”

The Army’s current Leopard 2 fleet includes 34 Leopard 2A4 tanks for training, 20 upgraded Leopard 2A4M tanks, 20 Leopard 2A6M tanks (some undergoing conversion to the 2A6M C2 variant), plus supporting armored engineering and recovery vehicles. Except for maintenance training vehicles, these are being consolidated in Edmonton under the tank centralization initiative.

There is a major near-term $76 million conversion of Leopard 2A6M tanks to the 2A6M C2 CAN configuration currently underway at FFG Canada’s Bathurst facility. The project addresses obsolescence issues with analog technology, ensuring platform viability until 2035.

For a service life extension beyond 2035, significant upgrades would be necessary, potentially costing over $620 million. These could include improved protection against modern anti-tank weapons, enhanced surveillance capabilities, upgraded firepower, and mobility improvements. The Heavy Direct Fire Modernization project, previously known as Tank Life Extension, is expected to reach the definition phase of defence procurement sometime after 2028, suggesting major decisions will need to be made within the next three to five years.

NATO interoperability will be a key factor as the Army seeks to align its future fleet with NATO partners, ensuring seamless integration during combined operations. Any shift away from the Leopard 2 platform would need to carefully consider interoperability implications.