GDLS Canada unveils Grizzly LAV 10x10 Self-Propelled Howitzer to replace aging M777 howitzers at CANSEC 2026.

General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada has unveiled the Grizzly LAV 10x10 Self-Propelled Howitzer at CANSEC 2026, introducing a Canadian-built contender for the Canadian Army’s effort to replace its aging M777 artillery fleet and expand long-range firepower. Announced on May 27, 2026, the system could strengthen Canada’s ability to deliver rapid, survivable indirect fire while keeping pace with modern battlefield demands for mobility and fast repositioning.

The Grizzly combines a domestic 10x10 LAV-based chassis with KNDS Germany’s combat-proven Artillery Gun Module, a fully automated 155 mm/L52 weapon system capable of high-rate fire and advanced shoot-and-scoot operations. Its reported fire-on-the-move capability aligns with one of the Canadian Army’s most demanding modernization requirements and reflects a broader shift toward highly mobile, automated artillery designed to survive and operate in contested environments.

Related topic: Canada accelerates its efforts to replace US-made M777 howitzers with modern self-propelled alternatives

The Canadian Grizzly LAV enters the IFM competition with an artillery configuration already adopted abroad, domestic manufacturing potential, LAV fleet commonality, and one of the few artillery systems associated with fire-on-the-move capability. (Picture source: GDLS-C)

On May 28, 2026, General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada (GDLS-C) unveiled the Grizzly LAV Self-Propelled Howitzer at CANSEC 2026 in Ottawa, introducing a Canadian-built 10x10 candidate for the Canadian Army's Indirect Fires Modernization (IFM) program. The Grizzly LAV combines a domestic 10×10 chassis with the Artillery Gun Module (AGM) from KNDS Deutschland, an unmanned 155 mm/L52 system already selected by Switzerland and integrated on Germany's Boxer RCH 155. The unveiling occurred fifteen months after the first IFM Request for Information was issued in February 2025, which outlined a requirement for 80 to 98 self-propelled 155 mm howitzers to replace 33 M777 towed guns while expanding artillery capacity.

The Grizzly enters the competition as a Canadian adaptation of an artillery configuration already adopted abroad, combining domestic manufacturing potential, LAV fleet commonality and compatibility with one of the few artillery systems associated with fire-on-the-move capability. The Grizzly designation revives a name associated with Canada's original AVGP (Armoured Vehicle General Purpose) program of the late 1970s. The original Grizzly was a 6×6 armored personnel carrier derived from the Swiss MOWAG Piranha I and formed part of the first-generation LAV family. Production of Piranha-derived vehicles began in London, Ontario, in 1976 and continues there today.

The lineage subsequently expanded through the LAV II, LAV III, LAV 6.0, ACSV, and LAV 700 generations while retaining the same emphasis on wheeled mobility and modular mission configurations. Unlike its predecessor, the 2026 Grizzly is a dedicated artillery carrier and the first publicly revealed Canadian 10×10 LAV, linking the original AVGP lineage to the latest Piranha Heavy Mission Carrier architecture. The Grizzly closely mirrors the Piranha Advanced Artillery Carrier (AAC) unveiled by General Dynamics European Land Systems in 2024 and later selected by Switzerland.

Both use a five-axle 10×10 Heavy Mission Carrier configuration, mount the AGM turret, and share similar hull proportions, turret placement, and mission architecture. The transition from an 8×8 configuration to a 10×10 reflects the weight demands of automated 155 mm artillery systems. While the Canadian Army's LAV 6.0 8x8 weighs roughly 28 tonnes, the Piranha 10x10 Heavy Mission Carrier was designed for a gross vehicle weight of up to 40 tonnes and payloads reaching 18 tonnes. The fifth axle better distributes vehicle mass and firing loads, while four steerable axles maintain maneuverability despite the vehicle's increased size. 

The AGM is the decisive component of the LAV Grizzly. Developed from the DONAR program, it combines a 155 mm/L52 gun with a fully automated loading and ammunition-handling system housed in an unmanned turret. The crew remains inside the armored hull throughout firing operations. Compatible with standard NATO 155 mm ammunition, the AGM supports conventional, base-bleed, and precision-guided projectiles. KNDS reports firing rates approaching nine rounds per minute, while demonstrations have shown ten rounds fired in approximately two minutes and nineteen seconds.

The system was designed for highly automated shoot-and-scoot operations and forms the basis of both the Boxer RCH 155, the GDELS Nemesis, and Switzerland's future self-propelled artillery fleet. Canada's Indirect Fires Modernization (IFM) requirements align closely with the AGM capabilities. The Canadian Army seeks a 52-caliber 155 mm system capable of firing M795 ammunition to 30 km and M1128 base-bleed projectiles to 40 km while remaining compatible with M982 Excalibur, M1156 guidance kits, sensor-fuzed anti-armor munitions, and Multiple Round Simultaneous Impact missions. A battery of six guns must deliver at least 96 rounds and leave firing positions within three minutes, while individual vehicles must relocate at least 500 meters within two minutes of firing.

The most consequential requirement is the ability to engage indirect targets while moving, as that specification excludes many tracked and wheeled competitors and favors artillery systems such as the Grizzly LAV. If the fire-on-the-move requirement remains unchanged, the competition may become less about artillery systems than about vehicle architectures and industrial participation. Both the Grizzly and Boxer RCH 155 employ the AGM and therefore offer comparable lethality, ammunition compatibility, firing rates, and range performance. If the two are selected for the IFM program, the differentiation would instead depend on manufacturing location, sustainment, fleet commonality, and lifecycle costs.

GDLS-C already produces the Canadian Army's primary armored vehicle fleet in London, Ontario, providing existing infrastructure, workforce experience, and commonality with LAV III, LAV 6.0, and ACSV fleets. Under such conditions, industrial and logistical factors could become as important as battlefield performance, especially as the German ARTEC consortium seeks a potential industrial cooperation with the Czech Republic to expand the Boxer 8x8 production, as the demand for this vehicle continues to increase. Switzerland's procurement decision also provides a relevant benchmark for the Grizzly LAV.

The Swiss Army selected the AGM mounted on the Piranha 10×10 Heavy Mission Carrier to replace its M109 self-propelled howitzers, acquiring 32 systems with deliveries expected around 2030. The decision validated the same basic carrier-and-turret combination before Canada's unveiling of the Grizzly. Much of the integration work between the AGM and a 10×10 Piranha-derived chassis has therefore already been completed. Canada is evaluating a configuration that has already secured a production contract, reducing technical risk compared with a new artillery vehicle developed from the ground up. 

Before CANSEC 2026, attention largely focused on Boxer RCH 155, Archer, CAESAR, K9 Thunder, and other established artillery candidates. The Grizzly altered that landscape by introducing a domestic alternative built around the same artillery module as the Boxer while leveraging Canada's existing LAV industrial base. The vehicle aligns with Canadian preferences for wheeled mobility, long operational range, and rapid displacement after firing. Its unveiling also indicates that GDLS-C expects the IFM requirements, particularly fire-on-the-move capability, to remain intact. If Ottawa retains that criterion, the number of viable competitors could remain limited because few systems combine a 155 mm/L52 gun, automated loading, wheeled mobility, and demonstrated fire-on-the-move capability within a single vehicle.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.