Canada looks at Arctic mobility

The Canadian Army has purchased new Argo XT vehicles and D900 snowmobiles as part of work to refine requirements for the vehicle it will acquire to replace the BV206 when it is retired from service in 2022.

Eight Argo XT tracked small unit support vehicles and 20 D900 diesel-powered snowmobiles have been purchased under a ‘buy and try’ arrangement. Although the vehicles will not become a permanent addition to the army’s fleet, they will be used to help determine what specific features and capabilities will best serve its needs when operating in Canada’s difficult Arctic terrain.

The BV206 tracked, all-terrain transport vehicle has been in service with the Canadian forces since 1983. It is being upgraded under a programme to replace its engines and transmissions to extend its service life to at least 2022.

What will follow the vehicle is the subject of the Arctic Mobility Project. In addition to helping formulate requirements for this vehicle, the Argo XT and D900 will fill any capability gaps before the new vehicle(s) enter service from 2025.

Half of the Argo XTs are in use in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, by members of the Canadian armed forces’ Joint Task Force North and the rest are at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta. The vehicle has been adapted for military roles with the addition of an enclosed cab, a kit that enables it to carry stretchers, and a military fuel can holder.

The D900, purpose-built for military use, will be used over the 2015-16 winter by Canadian Ranger patrols and as part of the army’s Arctic Observer and Advisor Course, in which soldiers receive Arctic-specific survival training.

The D900 and the ARGO XT will also be tested by Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC), and will be part of the 2016 Joint Arctic Experiment (JAE). 

Major Peter Chan, director of the Arctic Mobility Project, said: ‘We’re going to trial them in those locations and assess what the capabilities are in marginal terrain to help us define our real, high level mandatory requirements for future purchases.’