Canada First Model - Land Assets

 

OP CS-47 Croatia 1994 (photo by V.A. McMillan)

A short while ago, I started this discussion with adjusting the Canadian Forces High Command from a Political Patronage Model to the Canada First Model. (You can find that post here: https://mtnmanblog.blogspot.com/2021/04/future-cf-structure-from-partisan.html). Which was followed by a post suggesting what a Canada First Model for Naval Assets could look like. (You can find that post here: https://mtnmanblog.blogspot.com/2021/05/canada-first-model-for-national-defence.html).

Moving forward, with the Canada First Model for long-term strategic planning for the defence of Canada that is immune to petty political interference and intrigues. The first big leap has to be based on planning that looks at the service life of each piece of equipment necessary for the defence of Canada and then ensuring there will always be a ready supply to replace units that are reaching the end of their service life. This can also be a thread to explore later, of the process to have frontline equipment, secondary line equipment and tertiary equipment, before retiring said equipment from service.

The exploration of a Canada First Model for National Defence will continue with a look at our Land assets. I will skip a review of our current assets, that information is available somewhere on the world wide web (try searching for information from Deagel). I will focus on developing a list of Land assets that should be produced by Canadian manufacturers, where possible, in direct support of the Canadian Forces.

Similar to the previous discussion on Naval assets, our Land assets could be manufactured in Canada by Canadian companies resulting in strengthening the Canadian economy, employing Canadians in well paying jobs, AND improving the overall defence of Canada. Our current choice for a main battle tank (MBT), the Leopard 2 family might be one of the few pieces of hardware that would be purchased from sources outside Canada, the other item that jumps to mind would be the Cobra AH-1S or newer variant helicopters. Some of the suggestions I will make may reference an existing vehicle or piece of equipment to provide a visual, but the actual may be built by Canadian firms.

For Land Assets I will focus on equipment for the defence of Canada. A future post could be dedicated to equipping a foreign service unit of the Canadian Forces. The division of the Land Forces I see is as follows: The Pacific Region, The Prairie Region, Central Canada, Atlantic Canada, and the Northern Region. The numbers I am suggesting are to defend the territory that is occupied and inhabited that also lends itself to the use of the equipment being suggested. For example, The Prairie Region consists of the open Plains east of the Rocky Mountains across to the Canadian Shield area formed near the Manitoba/Ontario provincial border; this is TANK COUNTRY!! Just like the Steppes in Russia. To defend this area, you need tanks and lots of them. Unlike Russia, it is not likely Canadians will support the actual number needed to defend this region fully, so I am using numbers that will do the best with what is likely to be acquired. Where I suggest 300 MBT’s, it would realistically require 3000 MBT’s. However, such investments are beyond the sensibilities of Canadians…who, after all, would invade Canada??

Let’s look at some details…

The proposed Land assets focus on defending the Prairies and Canada’s grain belt/food supply. The same area that makes for growing great grain crops is also the same territory that is open and makes the best use of tank warfare. Maybe I am stuck in old ways of thinking. Maybe I should evolve and include a higher percentage of automated machines to conduct our defensive warfare?? Humans are still better than machines for making on the spot decisions of shoot or no shoot…in my biased opinion. So, let’s work through this using a conventional warfare model that is heavy on manned machines. Having a larger Land Force in such a large country is not a bad idea.

To review some of the specific suggestions…

Main battle tank (MBT): The Leopard 2, is a good choice for Canada and is one tough tank on the battlefield. Until Canada decides to start building MBT’s, this is a good place to start. We just need more, a lot more if we plan to defend and hold the Prairie Region from any invader or insurgent force. The 120mm main gun has enough punch to knockout most threats. When deployed in combat teams with Anti-Armour units using TOW3 or Hellfire missile systems, they combine for a very effective one-two knockout combo!

Light tanks (LT): I have suggested the Scorpion 

which was a light tank used by the British Army but was armed with only a 76mm main gun. This is the starting point. Canada needs to develop a light tank that can be built in mass quantity in factories across the country, not just in Southern Ontario. The light tank needs to be fast, have enough gun to neutralize APC’s, IFV’s, soft skin vehicles and bunkered fighting positions. I have suggested a 90mm main gun, but an 88mm might be equally as good. Backup the main gun with an Anti-Armour missile system that mounts to the same turret, such as the TOW3 or Hellfire and light armour becomes less on an issue when deployed to the battlefield enmasse. 

The Scorpion tank design used in the HALO computer game

offers other points to ponder, such as quad tracks and self-loading main gun…hmmm. 

The LAV 3: Is a proven Canadian design. Continue to improve the design and make more, lots more. These wheeled APC’s work well in urban environments and the 25mm provides superior support to troops defending their positions.

Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV): Canada needs to develop a made in Canada solution for a tracked IFV. The CBMP-1 would be a Canadian designed vehicle that would use the same 25mm as the LAV 3, have a three-man crew and carry at least 6 infantry soldiers. The vehicle would be similar in size as the Russian BMP-2, 

however designed to meet Canadian Forces needs and use Canadian manufactures. It would be good if it would share the same engine platform as the LAV 3. Further, an Anti-Armour missile launcher mounted to the turret, such as a TOW3 or Hellfire would add protective punch if the IFV’s found themselves without Armour support.

RECCE & Anti-Armour: Make wheeled and tracked versions of the LAV 3 and CBMP-1 that are mission built for Recce or Anti-Armour roles. These vehicles would employ a four-man crew and use the extra space to hold more missiles or surveillance equipment and larger fuel tanks for longer patrols. Thus, the Coyote (or the upgraded version) would be retained and upgraded for the wheeled RECCE & Anti-Armour vehicle platform.

Winter Warfare Vehicle and Ambulance: The BV-206 has served Canada for many years and the newer BV-206S would be a good upgrade to maintain our Winter Warfare capability in all parts of the country. The ambulance version 

would be a wise addition to the Land asset inventory, even during peacetime this vehicle would be a valuable asset. Think ice storms in Ontario and Quebec and going to rescue injured senior citizens before snow removal equipment can clear the roads.

Air Defence: One design for local air defence I have had in my mind for many years is based on a Cat 518/528 gripple-grapple skidder [https://www.ritchiespecs.com/model/caterpillar-518-skidder, https://www.ritchiespecs.com/model/caterpillar-528-skidder]. 

Then, a surface to air missile system would replace the gripple-grapple attachment. I suggest the Rapier SAM system 

with a fixed targeting radar unit attached to the roof of the vehicle and a “slave” unit that can be ground mounted away from the launcher and vehicle, in the event the enemy uses radar seeking missiles. I would call this unit CAD (Canadian Air Defence) Mark One [CAD Mk 1].

Helicopter: For dominating the air space on a tank battlefield, Canada needs either an attack helicopter, like the Cobra AH-1S 

or a Battlefield Drone that can launch Hellfire missiles at enemy armour vehicles.

Artillery: The M-777 sounds like it does a great job, we just need more of them. Also, 105mm howitzers are still useful, so we need to ensure we have enough of a type that favours Canadian terrain and works with other Land Force equipment – trucks, helicopters, and transport aircraft (C-130 and C-17).

Basically, our past Canadian governments have all failed to do their part to ensure Canada and Canadians are adequately protected in a military sense. If we did not have such good neighbours to our South, this lack of military preparedness would cost us our country. Ineptitude in government is not acceptable for defending one’s own country. Canadians deserve better from their elected representatives!

This subject deserves more discussion, but let’s wait for another day. I will also try to tackle Air Assets in the next couple of weeks.

So, until next time…Don’t wait for others to find the solutions!

Mountainman.