Canadian Buffalo Soldiers

The Canadian Forces have awarded Rheinmetall a C$54.7 million (US$53.2 million) contract to supply Büffel (Buffalo) armored recovery vehicles (ARVs) to the Canadian Forces, the German company announced yesterday. Rheinmetall would not reveal the number of Buffalos involved for contractual reasons but the Canadian Forces envisage a tank force which includes eight ARVs.



The contract covers production and delivery of the vehicles and related training support. Delivery of the ARVs is scheduled for 2013-2014. The Canadian Forces will provide Leopard 2 tank chassis from their inventory, which Rheinmetall will convert into Buffalo ARVs. The program will be conducted at Rheinmetall’s Kiel and Kassel plants and in Canada in cooperation with the company's subsidiary, Rheinmetall Canada, and other Canadian companies.

Rheinmetall Canada is currently modernizing and modifying 42 Leopard 2 tanks which the Canadian military acquired from the Netherlands in 2007.

The Canadian army already began using Buffalo ARVs drawn from the Bundeswehr inventory and with added protection fitted by Rheinmetall in Afghanistan in 2007.

Photos courtesy of Rheinmetall

Tags: ar99, Canada