A London defence firm has landed a $404-million deal to upgrade 141 of the Canadian Armed Forces' Light Armoured Vehicles.
Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan announced the multi-million dollar federal investment in General Dynamics Land Systems Canada (GDLS) at the company's Oxford St. facility on Friday.
While the investment won't create any new jobs in the city, it will secure 250 existing positions.
"That's 250 people who will be able to continue to contribute to the economy here in London. That's 250 people who will be able to keep supporting their families and propelling our local economy forward and securing GDL Canada's reputation as a global leader in this industry," said Sajjan.
The LAV III upgrade program delivers vehicles in the new LAV 6.0 configuration. The upgrades include a double-V hull, protection and mobility enhancements, onboard vetronics and capacity for future growth and modularity.
"Our troops deserve the best type of equipment when they do their jobs," said Sajjan. "The LAV III is the backbone of the Canadian Army's armoured vehicle fleet and it is a vehicle that I know extremely well. Like thousands of Canadian forces personnel, I rode in the LAV III in Afghanistan. These vehicles kept me and my fellow soliders safe from harm."
Work on the combat vehicles will begin in a few months, with upgrades to all 141 vehicles expected to be completed by the end of 2019. The upgrades will expand the lifespan of the Canadian Armed Forces LAV fleet to 2035.
"Our employment is dependent upon our contracts, so receiving this contract is very good news for us and for London," said Doug Wilson-Hodge, manager of corporate affairs for GDLS. "It's critical that we have Canada as our customer because when we go abroad and try and export our vehicles they ask if our own country uses our vehicle. This is absolutely essential for us to be able to sell our product abroad."
Since 2011, GDLS has upgraded 409 of the country's LAV IIIs. The company currently employees more than 2,000 people in the London region.