Canadian Defence News

[BeaverFever]

GDLS and BAE Team Up to Offer the BvS10 for Canada’s DAME Project

 

General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) and BAE Systems announced that they have signed a teaming agreement to offer the BvS10 Beowulf platform for the Canadian Army‘s Domestic Artic Mobility Enhancement (DAME) project.

Image Credit: Master Corporal Alana Morin, Joint Task Force – North, Yellowknife.

This teaming agreement combines BAE Systems Hägglunds’ deep expertise in all-terrain vehicle design with GDLS’ extensive in-service support capabilities across Canada.

“GDLS is proud to bring BAE Systems Hägglunds Beowulf to Canada to satisfy requirements for the DAME project,” said Dave Haggerty, vice president and general manager of GDLS-Canada. “With nearly 50 years of working closely with the Canadian Armed Forces in complex project delivery and in-service support we will ensure that the platform remains supported and relevant wherever it is stationed. Our diverse military expertise and familiarity with customer needs will deliver made-in-Canada features tailored to national requirements. Beowulf and this partnership will provide Canada assurance of DAME‘s success.”

READ: COVER STORY – GDLS General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada

Beowulf is a dual-body all-terrain vehicle that provides outstanding mobility in extreme Arctic environments, and unparalleled manoeuvrability across mud, sand, muskeg, snow, ice, and deep water due to its amphibious capabilities. The vehicle boasts a battle-tested drivetrain derived from the BvS10 family, which is currently in operation in eight nations, six of which are NATO member countries. It is a low-risk, proven platform with demonstrated performance that can deliver the military capabilities needed for the defence of Canada’s sovereignty in the Arctic.

“Arctic capability is critical for Canada, and the Beowulf will drive both current and future strategic objectives due to its ability to operate in extreme temperatures and unforgiving landscapes,” said Tommy-Gustafsson-Rask, managing director of BAE Systems Hägglunds. “With a hot production line and a unified supply chain, the platform ensures long-term availability of spare parts and support for the Canadian Armed Forces, while offering seamless interoperability with military units across North America.”

READ: BAE Systems and Cellula Robotics signs 10-year exclusive agreement to work on Herne

With GDLS and BAE Systems Hägglunds collaboration, the Beowulf platform will deliver a modern proven platform that will allow Canada to maintain a persistent presence in the Arctic and respond to emerging threats in concert with its allies and partners.
 

https://canadiandefencereview.com/gdls-and-bae-team-up-to-offer-the-bvs10-for-canadas-dame-project/

Edited November 18, 2025 by BeaverFever

[taxme]

On 7/26/2023 at 8:20 PM, BeaverFever said:

Two big Department of National Defence (DND)news stories in 24 hours finally persuaded me to start a thread on the topic. Hopefully the former CAF  members on this forum and others with interest/curiosity in the subject will share, ask questions and and contribute!

News Story 1:  Yesterday DND signed a $3.6Bn contract with Airbus to acquire a fleet of Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft which are based on the state of the art Airbus A330 wide-body airliner.  The MRTT will replace the current aged fleet of 5 CC-150 Polaris aircraft, which are based on the now-obsolete 1980s-era Airbus A310 wide-body airliner.   While the pending deal had been public knowledge for quite some time, the surprise yesterday was that Canada will procure 9 aircraft rather than the previously mentioned 6 aircraft, a 50% surprise increase attributed to Canada’s recently renewed commitment to NATO.   Also announced yesterday was that the RCAF has officially named the new MRTT the CC-330 Husky.   The Airbus MRTT is already in service with a number of countries and NATO allies including UK, Australia, France and Spain among others.

The Husky and its Polaris predecessor are used in various configurations for transporting personnel, cargo (or various combinations of both),and VIP transport of the Prime Minister, the Royal Family and other senior government officials. In addition, the aircraft are used to air-to-air refuelling of Canadian and allied fighter aircraft.  As the A330 is a significantly larger aircraft, it will have 50% more capacity than the current fleet. In addition to being newer technology, the entire Husky fleet will be capable of air-air refuelling compared to just 2 of the existing legacy Polaris fleet that have a tanker configuration. The Polaris is also not capable of refuelling F-35s or other aircraft that only use a “refuelling boom” system.  The Husky will also bring a new capability in the form of a MEDEVAC configuration where the aircraft is equipped with a medical bay and 24 medical personnel capable of treating 10 patients on stretchers (including 2 critical care patients) plus 6 ambulatory patients. One of the 9 aircraft will be dedicated to VIP transport and have a separate paint scheme accordingly but apparently can be reconfigured to other roles if needed.   

Of the 9 MRTT aircraft to be supplied by Airbus, the contract stipulates that 4 will be factory new and the other 5 are mint condition ex-Kuwaiti Airlines commercial A330s already acquired by RCAF that will be converted to MRTTs by Airbus. The ex-commercial A330s are expected to enter RCAF service this year for personnel/VIP transport in their existing unmodified “commercial passenger” configuration.   All 9 aircraft are expected to be operational in full MRTT configuration by 2027  

 

 

 

I will wait to see if that happens. Remember that the DND is under the control of the lieberal traitorous party and that party is well known for not doing what they said they would do. If they need more money for more wokeness and for foreign aid they just might cancel that order. Never trust what a lieberal says.

Hey, we never know, eh, with the liberal party. Just saying. 😁

[Army Guy]

Liberals cut funding for Veterans affairs by 4.23 bil...more than 1/2 of it's original budget is gone....Why is it we treat our vets like this, why is it we treat Canadians like this....and then wonder Why we have a recruitment crises...Why sacrifice everything you have and then be treated like some budget number on a spread sheet....

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1436927807804733&set=a.457038325793691

Edited November 18, 2025 by Army Guy

[BeaverFever]

4 hours ago, taxme said:

I will wait to see if that happens. Remember that the DND is under the control of the lieberal traitorous party and that party is well known for not doing what they said they would do. If they need more money for more wokeness and for foreign aid they just might cancel that order. Never trust what a lieberal says.

Hey, we never know, eh, with the liberal party. Just saying. 😁

LMAO Dude that post you replied to is 2 and a half years old. Everything happened a long time ago already. 
 

 

[taxme]

15 hours ago, BeaverFever said:

LMAO Dude that post you replied to is 2 and a half years old. Everything happened a long time ago already. 
 

 

Whether yesterday or today or tomorrow, the lieberals will never do as they say they will. They are all just talk and no action. Carnage made us all believe that he was going to be great for Canada and Canadians. Well, i am still waiting for to see something great happening in Canada from the lieberals. As that old saying goes "hell will freeze over first" before we will ever see the lieberals do anything that will help Canada to become a strong and great country. 

Everything that happened back then will be still happening today and tomorrow with the lieberals. Canada is almost dead as a country. The problem with you and the other lieberals here is that you are the ones that has and who still are trying to destroy the old Canada that worked well. 

Show me as to what i am saying here is wrong, if you can. Over to you, lieberal.

RIP Canada. It's been a slice. 😇

[BeaverFever]

Will you go emigrate to Russia already?  Your paradise awaits. 

[taxme]

5 minutes ago, BeaverFever said:

Will you go emigrate to Russia already?  Your paradise awaits. 

Why? I am doing okay here in Canukistan for now. But why don't you go emigrate to Cuba or China? They sound like those countries would be a great tyranny and slavery paradise for you to want to live in. 

I guess that you are like the rest of the commie lieberals here who still refuse to produce anything that your commie hero Carnage has done to try and make Canada great and prosperous. What the hell are you lefties waiting for? 

But yet, liebetrals like you have no problems attacking and mocking conservatives here? Why is that? Is it because we conservatives can talk and can make plenty more common sense and logic in what we say here than commie lieberals like you ever could? I wish lieberals like you here would just stop running away and trying to avoid not answering my conservative questions. Lefties like you are nothing more than a bunch of lieberal commie cowards and wimps. Try and prove me wrong on that one. 🤡🤣

[Army Guy]

More about the gripen...and what the Air command feels like about these aircraft...

 

 

[John Stone]

Canada does not have the luxury to be diverse re: a platform of this type - utter foolish in terms of support infrastructure/ training / 

[ExFlyer]

On 11/17/2025 at 10:37 PM, Army Guy said:

Liberals cut funding for Veterans affairs by 4.23 bil...more than 1/2 of it's original budget is gone....Why is it we treat our vets like this, why is it we treat Canadians like this....and then wonder Why we have a recruitment crises...Why sacrifice everything you have and then be treated like some budget number on a spread sheet....

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1436927807804733&set=a.457038325793691

I think you forgot how badly Harper cut Veterans

"given the callousness of the Harper government? In the past decade Conservatives closed offices, cut 900 jobs, clawed back benefits, killed lifetime pensions for Afghanistan veterans, and failed to spend $1.13 billion of the Veterans Affairs budget but found money to increase advertising and ceremonies for politicians to honour veterans."

https://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2015/08/19/Conservative-Attacks-Canadian-Veterans/

"Departmental performance reports stretching back to 2009 show that roughly 897 positions have been eliminated across Veterans Affairs, with 33 per cent coming out of the section that administers pensions and awards.

Those same records show the health and rehabilitation branches also took a sizable hit — roughly 372 positions during the same time frame."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/vets-disability-branch-budget-slashed-between-2009-and-2013-records-show-1.2863732

"While under the previous Liberal government the time needed to purchase equipment had dropped to only 89 months, under Harper this delay has grown to 199 months. This was partially due to the year after year defense spending cuts."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_policy_of_the_Stephen_Harper_government

 

Lets face it...the Military has never been a priority in Canadian politics. Recent politicians and programs are showing some light but lets see if it really happens.

 

[ExFlyer]

11 hours ago, Army Guy said:

More about the gripen...and what the Air command feels like about these aircraft...

 

 

"While the Gripen boasts superior agility, speed, and electronic warfare capabilities, its lack of stealth and its reliance on visual-range engagements would make it vulnerable to the F-35's superior situational awareness and sensor technology."

https://nationalsecurityjournal.org/saab-jas-39-gripen-vs-f-35-stealth-fighter-who-wins/

[Army Guy]

2 hours ago, ExFlyer said:

I think you forgot how badly Harper cut Veterans

"given the callousness of the Harper government? In the past decade Conservatives closed offices, cut 900 jobs, clawed back benefits, killed lifetime pensions for Afghanistan veterans, and failed to spend $1.13 billion of the Veterans Affairs budget but found money to increase advertising and ceremonies for politicians to honour veterans."

https://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2015/08/19/Conservative-Attacks-Canadian-Veterans/

"Departmental performance reports stretching back to 2009 show that roughly 897 positions have been eliminated across Veterans Affairs, with 33 per cent coming out of the section that administers pensions and awards.

Those same records show the health and rehabilitation branches also took a sizable hit — roughly 372 positions during the same time frame."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/vets-disability-branch-budget-slashed-between-2009-and-2013-records-show-1.2863732

"While under the previous Liberal government the time needed to purchase equipment had dropped to only 89 months, under Harper this delay has grown to 199 months. This was partially due to the year after year defense spending cuts."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_policy_of_the_Stephen_Harper_government

 

Lets face it...the Military has never been a priority in Canadian politics. Recent politicians and programs are showing some light but lets see if it really happens.

 

No i did not forget, What i was doing is pointing out that THIS liberal government cut Veterans affairs funding by more than Half...And using the excuse that the Conservatives have cut Veterans affairs in the past would give the liberal the license to cut funding by half is a silly argument...

Lets face it, our military has never been a priority for Canadians period, for many decades...Considering the unwavering  loyalty of our Military members have shown this country, not to mention all of their sacrifices they make on a daily bases only to have Canadians dismiss all of this because it does not effect their own tiny bubbles...I and many other vets find this disheartening, embarrassing, and in some cases disgusting....

Canadians don't have to worry about WHY recruitment is down i mean who wants to sign up for unlimited liability for a country who really does not care one way or another, ...And it is not just the military, it is every career that involves unlimited liability, police, fire fighters, EMS, all of them are asking WHY, when we as a nation can not even bother to just equip them properly, train them, pay them and finally give them some respect...

And while the current Liberal government is moving in the right direction, it needs to move a lot faster than they are right now....

 

 

[ExFlyer]

1 hour ago, Army Guy said:

No i did not forget, ....

And while the current Liberal government is moving in the right direction, it needs to move a lot faster than they are right now....

 

 

In my opinion, this is the fastest any government has moved in over 3 decades.

From less than 1.5% of GDP to over 2% in less than a year and up to 5% in a few more years.

[CdnFox]

Just now, ExFlyer said:

In my opinion, this is the fastest any government has moved in over 3 decades.

 

They haven't done anything. So it's not your opinion it's your delusion. So far they haven't achieved a single thing that they said they were going to. They haven't even moved closer.

They said they'd have a deal with the United States by July, we're almost at the end of the year and not only do we not have a deal but talks are stalled and there are more new tariffs

We have no new projects. We're not building the projects we had any faster. And industry is basically said they don't want anything to do with building in Canada during the current regulatory environment

We have more interprovincial trade barriers, not less. New inter provincial trade tariffs have been applied

The first nations is up in arms and doesn't want to work with the government.

We have no new trade deals to speak up despite him getting around to dozens of different countries supposedly on trade missions

The guy has done nothing. That's not open to opinion, it's just fact

 

[Army Guy]

5 hours ago, ExFlyer said:

In my opinion, this is the fastest any government has moved in over 3 decades.

From less than 1.5% of GDP to over 2% in less than a year and up to 5% in a few more years.

What we have to date is a lot of words and promises...but i agree this is a the first time in decades the military has a hope in getting fixed, but we are still full of a lot of promises...

[Army Guy]

More about the F-35 and the politics around the Gripen. This time from a Canadian test pilot involved in the orginal purchase....

And here is another perspective for the pros and cons of both aircraft....

 

[John Stone]

22 hours ago, ExFlyer said:

"While the Gripen boasts superior agility, speed, and electronic warfare capabilities, its lack of stealth and its reliance on visual-range engagements would make it vulnerable to the F-35's superior situational awareness and sensor technology."

https://nationalsecurityjournal.org/saab-jas-39-gripen-vs-f-35-stealth-fighter-who-wins/

 

22 hours ago, ExFlyer said:

"While the Gripen boasts superior agility, speed, and electronic warfare capabilities, its lack of stealth and its reliance on visual-range engagements would make it vulnerable to the F-35's superior situational awareness and sensor technology."

https://nationalsecurityjournal.org/saab-jas-39-gripen-vs-f-35-stealth-fighter-who-wins/

Like it or not, the U.S. is Canada's Aegis? 

There is no real argument here, F35 baby. 

Think training, geographics, FUTURE trade, non-diversity, support infrastructure. 

Makes me think of the SHINCOM, RAMSES or Sea Giraffe. 

 

[I am Groot]

On 11/16/2025 at 11:29 AM, ExFlyer said:

You are correct in that assumption. 

Thing is SAAB )or any other fighter manufacturer) can also do that with their aircraft.

Here's the thing about that. The engines, and a lot of the most high-tech equipment on that plane are licensed from American manufacturers. Which means the Swedes can't sell their planes to anyone if the Americans say no. Which leaves the amusing possibility that Carney could cancel the F-35, announce we were buying the Gripen, and then the Americans refuse to grant Sweden permission to sell it to us. Then we would have to wait while the Swedes replace the engine (which they have plans to do) and the other technology with non-American parts, solve whatever integration problems arise, and then buy them. Don't know how long that would delay the purchase, but it definitely wouldn't be a few days.

[I am Groot]

On 11/16/2025 at 2:40 PM, eyeball said:

My ranges were old gravel pits along logging roads here-abouts. I had an old Lee-Enfield 303 rifle, a couple of buddies I'd go shooting with had a 30-06 semi-automatic rifle and a shotgun. No handguns.

Yeah, these days the cops would likely show up. And of course, you're not legally allowed to even take a handgun out of your house to go anywhere but a registered gun range.

[I am Groot]

19 hours ago, ExFlyer said:

In my opinion, this is the fastest any government has moved in over 3 decades.

From less than 1.5% of GDP to over 2% in less than a year and up to 5% in a few more years.

No one thinks we will ever get to 5%. That's just humoring orange man talk. As for raising our spending as a percentage of GDP, well, they're going to stuff everything they can under the umbrella of defense, like the coast guard, which is unarmed, and then look for praise.

[I am Groot]

On 11/17/2025 at 4:02 PM, herbie said:

So we said we'd buy f35s. So get 19-24 and put a squadron on each coast for NORAD duties.
Then buy like 88 Grypens or whatever for the benefits they have.

We'd not put all our eggs in one basket, a nod to the US rather than a slap, even more planes, and a big hand to our reliable NATO allies.

It would be extremely expensive to operate completely separate supply chains and maintenance teams for two different fighters. And if we did, it would be the reverse of what you've got. Buy a lot of F-35s and then buy a couple of squadrons of Gripens to serve NORAD and fly up to chase away Russians testing our border areas. They could likely take off from rougher, more northerly runways and would be cheaper and easier to maintain. 

Edited November 20, 2025 by I am Groot

[BeaverFever]

On 11/18/2025 at 5:43 PM, taxme said:

Why? I am doing okay here in Canukistan for now. But why don't you go emigrate to Cuba or China? They sound like those countries would be a great tyranny and slavery paradise for you to want to live in. 

I guess that you are like the rest of the commie lieberals here who still refuse to produce anything that your commie hero Carnage has done to try and make Canada great and prosperous. What the hell are you lefties waiting for? 

But yet, liebetrals like you have no problems attacking and mocking conservatives here? Why is that? Is it because we conservatives can talk and can make plenty more common sense and logic in what we say here than commie lieberals like you ever could? I wish lieberals like you here would just stop running away and trying to avoid not answering my conservative questions. Lefties like you are nothing more than a bunch of lieberal commie cowards and wimps. Try and prove me wrong on that one. 🤡🤣

Sorry you’re a putin-supporting anti-vax chemtrail conspiracy whackjob, quit polluting this thread with your ignorance 

[BeaverFever]

A mixed fighter fleet with more than 88 total fighters and with non-US engines in the Gripen is probably the best option in the short term. The RCAF currently operates about dozen different aircraft types not including trainers and with the exception of the CF-18 era always operated a mixed fighter fleet. Many NATO allies and countries much poorer than us do also. 
 

Lets look at most of the operational taskings our fighters have been assigned recently 

- Chasing suspicious balloons 

- Chasing a dumbass cessna pilot who flew too close to the G8 summit 

- Guarding Canadian cities against hijacked airliners 

- Overflying sporting events and doing airshow demonstrations 

-Even routine NORAD intercepts don’t really require “high end” fighter capabilities …..CURRENTLY….

The Gripen could easily do these at a fraction of the operating cost of the F-35 and with a much higher readiness rate. F35 has an available rate of 50% due to unresolved bugs and maintenance complexity, some of which can only be done in USA while Gripen is 85% available. 

But a mixed fleet is only a short term solution as the Gripen doesn’t have a long future ahead of it being a 4.5 gen fighter. We need to get on board a non-US 6th generation project like FCAS or GCAP

[BeaverFever]

Canada to Increase its Investment to European Space Agency (ESA) Programs by $528.5M

At the SpaceBound 2025 Conference, the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, made the historic announcement that Canada will increase its investment to European Space Agency (ESA) programs by $528.5 million. This investment represents a tenfold increase compared to previous contributions and is set to advance research and development of Canadian-made space technologies for both civilian and defence purposes. It will help build an industrial base that is ready and capable of supporting Canada’s commercial, defence and security needs. 

Canada is navigating a world that is increasingly more complex and more dangerous, one that demands that we explore new approaches to our economy, our national defence and our international partnerships with trusted allies. This includes building a new, ambitious, and more comprehensive partnership with the European Union, its member countries and multilateral organizations.

Canada’s longstanding cooperation with ESA provides Canadian companies with privileged access to the European space market. Every dollar awarded to Canadian businesses through ESA contracts generates over three dollars in follow-on sales, benefitting Canadian organizations and injecting value into the Canadian economy. Canada’s ESA investment will provide direct opportunities for the Canadian space sector to increase exports, diversify partnerships and promote Canada’s cutting-edge expertise and space technology in the European market.

https://canadiandefencereview.com/canada-to-increase-its-investment-to-european-space-agency-esa-programs-by-528-5m/

[BeaverFever]

EURENCO and NALAGX agree to exclusive negotiations

EURENCO, the European leader in energetic materials, announces the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) with NALAGX, a Canadian industrial partner, to finalize negotiations for the establishment of an industrial campus in Canada dedicated to the manufacture of energetic materials.

This strategic agreement marks an important step in the parties’ discussions and demonstrates a shared desire to explore opportunities for industrial cooperation in the production of energetic materials, with the aim of strengthening NATO’s security and supply chain resilience.

This industrial complex will be dedicated to the production of a range of energetic materials essential for military applications, including various types of ammunition, such as shells and heavy artillery, as well as for civilian needs, such as mining. The first explosives manufacturing plant is scheduled to be operational by 2029.

The project foresees that this future production site, owned by NALAGX, will be operated by EURENCO. This new production capacity will meet the growing demand from NATO countries. It will contribute directly to strengthening Canada’s defence industrial base and will improve the resilience of explosives supplies to European and North American ammunition manufacturers.
…

https://canadiandefencereview.com/eurenco-and-nalagx-agree-to-exclusive-negotiations-for-manufacturing-energetic-materials-in-canada/