$50 M contract to GM for Iltis replacement

[portcullisguy]

The following article was posted on Yahoo News yesterday afternoon:

General Motors Wins C$50 Mln Canada Military Order

TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada‘s military on Tuesday awarded a contract worth almost C$50 million ($32 million) to General Motors Corp. to build a new fleet of light duty army vehicles.

The C$49.7 million contract for 861 light trucks will see the vehicles built by GM in Detroit before being adapted for military use in Canada.

The new truck is based on the GM Silverado commercial vehicle series, but will equipped with "militarized components". It will be used primarily by reserve units within Canada and will see no deployment.

The larger and more mobile vehicle replaces the 17-year-old Iltis light-vehicle currently in use by the Canadian Forces. Delivery of the first vehicles is expected in the spring of 2003.

($1=$1.56 Canadian)

I happen to think the Silverado is a pretty nifty truck, although I‘ve never driven one. I can only imagine a beefed up mil-version would be pretty neat.

And, as P RES, I like the part about "it will be used primarily by reserve units".

What does everyone think?

 

[2Lt_Martin]

That is really good to hear. One question though, will it be CADPAT?

Wait for it.

 

[John Nayduk]

And the Cougar was never supposed to be deployed overseas as it was a trainer. With our defence budgets, I won’t be surprised to see it in Bosnia or else where.

 

[Sharpey]

Can‘t find anything about it on the net...is it the basic civvie pattern but green? The Iltis could take a massive beating and keep running, for the most part, is there any information on the trials? Would hate to see this as another LSVW situation. But I guess the Silverado proven anyway.

 

[toms3]

Here are a couple of links

http://www.gmmilitary.com/pr01.htm

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1035774039028&call_page=TS_Business&call_pageid=968350072197&call_pagepath=Busine ss/News

 

[Harry]

Is this the ghost of 5/4‘s past. Visions of the interim vehicle that kept on going and going and going.

Wonder if they will have Bondo 101 taught for this new fleet.

New vehicles are welcome always. But a full size pickup for a small jeep???

Kind of like using a Chinook for LO work.

 

[Doug VT]

Here it is...

 

[toms3]

Does this mean that the reserves won‘t see a "jeep" type (G wagon) vehicle?

Oh...and it states "used by the reserve force". I wonder how long that will last? I am sure over time you will see them all over the CF (especially if it is a good piece of kit).

 

[Sharpey]

Ok I‘m sorry, but that does not look like a suitable replacement for Mud RECCE. I‘m sure it‘s a nice truck, but...

 

[Harry]

On the upside, anyone attached to a reserve unit now has a fleet of spares for their favorite Chev product.

Anyone else remember Saturday Maintenance Days, .

Ironically, all the Regt SM‘s drove, you guessed it, Chevs back then. So did anyone worth their salt, LOL.

Egad, still remember the night one of the guys I was on sentry duty in Germany with changed his crapped out alternator from his Camaro for a 5/4‘s.

Hmm, been thinking of a New Silverado...

 

[Zoomie]

Thing is with these new trucks, is that mostly all maintenance will be done by the local GM dealership. That was part of the reason behind the whole COTS project.
The LUVW is still to come (hopefully), this new truck is not meant to replace the Iltis in its "tactical" role. Most mud recce units will only receive between 2-5 of these vehicles, with the LUVW (G-Wagen?) to replace the rest.

 

[Jarnhamar]

I figure what the heck, army green pick up trucks? Might as well, i mean if you go on any excersises anymore with the reserves, even MORE so with the regular force, all you see is civi pattern pick up trucks. Dodge whatever their called. Their not green either their either dull grey or navy blue.
This way atleast the trucks have SOME camoflague. Their not going to be able to be treated as roughly as the iltis‘s but those are being held together by gun tape, bungie cords and the ends of pencils for starter keys.

Just another way for the goverment to spend military funds on something not very practicle.

However i DO love the idea of bombing around in a brand new truck seeing how stuck i can get it.

 

[Harry]

Zoomie,

The 5/4 was also an interim sorta vehicle and look how long they stuck around.

As for maintenance, wait out there, grumbles and rumbles in the palace as we type.

 

[Freely]

Alright, am I the only one to do the math?

It‘s nearly 60G‘s for a "Bandaid" vehicle! I‘m one not to complain about new equipment, but wouldn‘t the money be better spent on a permanent, All/Multi-purpose _MILITARY_ vehicle?
I believe that the higher ups have realized that they‘re knee deep, and instead of shoveling, they‘ve put boots on.


It is not enough for us to know,
we must apply.
It is not enough for us to be willing,
we must do.

 

[joe]

I dont understand...Are we replacing the Iltis with two new vehicles or is the Silverado intended to replace the LSVW aswelll?

 

[Brad Sallows]

Only the Iltis (LUVW) is being replaced right now. There will be two replacement vehicles. One is the announced GM commercial, off-the-shelf (COTS) pattern pickup. The other will be a standard military pattern (SMP) vehicle, type still to be announced.

For most reserve Iltis configurations, the replacement (if any) will be the COTS pattern. The apparently sole exception will be those Iltis used by armoured recce squadrons to practice their trade.

Regardless of configuration, the total replacement will be less than 1 for 1.

The facts that the Iltis would be replaced by two patterns (one COTS and one SMP) and at less than 1 for 1 exchange, have been public for at least 4 years.

The LSVW is not being replaced right now; it simply happens that the LUVW COTS has the same load rating.

In my opinion, this is sensible. The US uses the HMMWV in, as near as I can tell, all roles formerly occupied by vehicles rated from 1/4 ton (ie. jeep) through 5/4 ton. Commonality of equipment is good. In our case, it makes extra sense because the total number of vehicles will be small and our flexibility to re-role vehicles (ie. change their use, and possibly special equipment configurations) will be maximized.

If I ever had any input, I would prefer the simplest possible chassis and drive train rated to 5/4 ton, with an austere cab seating 3 and a cargo bed onto which any desired configuration could be dropped.

 

[Spanky]

After looking at the GM website, maybe the CUCV II is NOT the vehicle we‘re getting. Might it be the COMBATT Tech with ONSTAR Comm Package, Run Flats and Night vision with Head Up Display? hehehe
Maybe they‘ll even throw in the built in compressors and generators. :blotto:

 

[portcullisguy]

I don‘t know many civilian vehicles that come with M16/M4 mounting brackets, and all the other bells and whistles... it looks pretty military with the bumpers, and other bells and whistles, even if is does have the frame & body panels of a typical Silverado.

In any event, it looks like it would be a blast to bomb around in.

One thing though, the Iltis, like a lot of jeep-type vehciles, has the ability to go top-down and windscreen down, for a lower profile and I‘m sure lots of other reasons. This Silverado seems pretty un-convertible. Does anyone think that presents tactical problems? Windows up and rolling along and not hearing things?

 

[Harry]

What, no AC...

 

[Spanky]

I was looking for the AC. I‘m not up on all the spec stuff listed, but I think the AC is integral to the heating/ventilation system?
As far as Portcullis‘ question, yes, the Iltis is certainly more tactical. Take off the superstructure and drop the windshield, and you could almost hide an Iltis in a Meaford tank rut.