The first four of 50 armored vehicles being built at General Dynamics Land Systems’ (GDLS) plant in London, Ontario, are set to be shipped to Ukraine.
This announcement was made during an event attended by Canadian government officials, GDLS executives, and employees. The vehicles, part of a broader commitment made last September, include ambulance-variant Armoured Combat Support Vehicles (ACSVs) designed to aid in medical evacuations from combat zones.
Jason Alejandro Monahan, GDLS Canada’s vice-president, emphasized the life-saving impact of these vehicles, highlighting the importance of such decisions for both Ukraine’s defense and local job security.
Col. Andrii Shmilyk, Ukraine’s military attaché for Canada, attended the event, symbolizing the strong defense partnership between the two nations.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had announced a $650 million aid package for Ukraine, which includes these 50 new military vehicles, in addition to 39 previously delivered in 2022.
Defence Minister Bill Blair indicated that 10 vehicles would be shipped by summer, with the remaining 40 to follow. The ambulance-variant ACSVs will first arrive in Germany for training purposes before being deployed to Ukraine by autumn.