Textron Canada has delivered the first four TAPV 4x4 armoured vehicles to Canadian Army 0908133.

The Textron TAPV Team, led by Textron Systems Canada, was selected in June 2012 to manufacture 500 Canadian Forces Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicles with options for up to 100 more. The TAPV contract, with options, has a value of $603.4 million CAD, with an additional five-year in-service support contract of $105.4 million CAD.

In early July, the first pre-production vehicle (PPV) was sent to Aberdeen Test Center, a U.S. Army test facility in Maryland, for qualification testing; a process scheduled to take five months. The second PPV arrived at Rheinmetall Canada in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec in mid July. Rheinmetall completed Land Communication Information System training with this vehicle, which was followed by electro optical technical training performed by Kongsberg Protech Systems Canada and vehicle technician training by TM&LS.

The third and fourth TAPV PPVs also are at Rheinmetall Canada, where vehicle integration activities are taking place. Over the next several weeks, TM&LS is scheduled to finish work on two additional PPVs. At that point, five of the six PPVs will be sent to Canadian Forces Base Valcartier in Quebec for two weeks of Operator and Gunner Operator Training starting in late August. Immediately following, these pre-production TAPVs will begin Reliability, Availability, Maintainability and Durability (RAMD) testing at Valcartier. RAMD testing is expected to continue for eight months.

“Our pre-production vehicle assembly, testing and training is on schedule and moving us toward the start of full-rate production planned for January of 2014,” said Neil Rutter, general manager of Textron Systems Canada. “We remain committed to working with our Department of National Defense customer and our partners here in Canada to build and support a fleet of TAPVs that provide Canadian soldiers with unmatched performance and protection for decades.”

Ottawa-based Textron Systems Canada, as prime contractor, is providing overall TAPV program and configuration management, acting as design authority for change management, coordinating vehicle integration activities by Canadian subcontractors, and managing the In-Service Support contract. Textron Systems Canada also is implementing a pan-Canadian Industrial and Regional Benefits program designed to bring new expertise and opportunities to Canadian companies.

The Textron TAPV is the most reliable and technologically advanced vehicle of its kind. It draws on the company’s more than 45 years of experience in the design and production of armoured vehicles. The Textron TAPV is designed to provide the Canadian Forces with the optimal balance of survivability, mobility and versatility, while delivering outstanding performance in the world’s most challenging environments. Extensively tested to confirm ballistic, blast, mobility and reliability levels, the Textron TAPV has been engineered to meet and exceed Canada’s requirements.