Canada will buy 190 armoured vehicles from Ontario firm, Carney says

Prime Minister Mark Carney says the federal government is spending “nearly $2 billion” over the next four years on made-in-Canada armoured vehicles.

The planned addition of 190 armoured combat support vehicles will bring the military’s total fleet up to 550 vehicles, he said.

Carney announced the deal Thursday in London, Ont., at the Canadian campus of global defence contractor General Dynamics Land Systems.

The prime minister said every single vehicle will be built at the company’s Ontario factory with parts sourced from providers across the country.

“All of those parts — each intricately crafted and built by Canadians from British Columbia to Nova Scotia — arrive here, on the London factory floor, where (General Dynamics) workers turn them into advanced armoured combat vehicles,” Carney said.

The prime minister said this purchase is an example of his government’s defence industrial strategy, which seeks to build out Canada’s national security capabilities using domestic suppliers whenever possible.

Carney claimed the strategic partnership with General Dynamics will “create and sustain” 6,000 jobs over the next eight years.

Ottawa bought 360 armoured vehicles from General Dynamics in 2019, with delivery set to be completed by the end of 2025.

Canada’s armoured fleet has been deployed in various missions abroad and Carney announced last week that 35 of the vehicles will be built to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia.