Textron secures Canadian Army’s TAPV programme contract

The Canadian Government has selected Textron Systems Canada as the prime contractor for the country's Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicle (TAPV) programme.

The TAPV contract is worth C$603.4m under which Textron, along with Textron Marine & Land Systems and Rheinmetall Canada, will manufacture and supply a total of 500 vehicles, with an option for up to 100 additional vehicles.

The contract also includes an additional CAD$105.4m award for five-year in-service support services.

Textron Systems president and chief executive officer Fred Strader said: "The Textron TAPV will provide the men and women of the Canadian Army a fully supportable tactical armoured vehicle platform that delivers outstanding performance in the world's most challenging environments."

Textron Systems Canada general manager Neil Rutter added: "The Textron TAPV will deliver an unmatched blend of survivability, crew protection, power, mobility and payload versatility."

As a prime contractor, the company will also deliver overall TAPV programme and configuration management; it will serve as design authority for change management and also coordinate vehicle integration activities by Canadian subcontractors.

Additional responsibilities include managing the in-service support contract, apart from implementing the Industrial and Regional Benefits programme.

The TAPV team primarily comprises of Kongsberg Protech Systems Canada, Rheinmetall Canada and Engineering Office Deisenroth Canada (EODC).

Other local companies such as Michelin, General Kinetics, Evraz North America, SED Systems, Ontario Drive and Gear, Mobile Climate Control are expected to participate in the Textron TAPV supply chain, as the programme moves ahead.

Delivery of the first vehicle to the Canadian Army is scheduled to take place in July 2014, while the last will be delivered in March 2016.

Designed to replace the Canadian Army's existing fleet of armoured patrol vehicles (APV) and Coyote reconnaissance vehicles, the TAPV will ensure that the army remains capable of effective training, supporting domestic operations and sustaining deployed forces as part of the Canada First Defence Strategy.