German land systems manufacturer Rheinmetall announced on 6 August that the Canadian Armed Forces have exercised options under the Integrated Soldier System Project (ISSP) to procure an additional 1,256 Argus soldier systems, which will be delivered in 2019.
According to the company’s statement, this order is worth CAD22 million (€14.3 million).
The Canadian government initially contracted with Rheinmetall to start the qualification phase of the Canadian Army’s Integrated Soldier System (ISS) in 2015, which it has successfully completed in the meantime. The final production phase of the Argus soldier system is now underway, with 1,632 units slated for delivery this year.
General Jonathan Vance, Chief of Canadian Defence Staff, described Rheinmetall’s Argus soldier system, which is already in service with the Canadian Armed Forces, as a tool “that will improve situational awareness for [the] dismounted troops, allowing better command and control and improving their performance and protection.” General Vance added that the Argus soldier system “puts on the soldier or anybody on the ground the ability to understand their environment. Not only is a soldier a sensor but also a receiver of information. At your fingertips is your www.mywar.com – this is where I am right now, this is what is happening to me right now. I can prevail more because I understand better what is going on.”
A Canadian Armed Forces officials said that this project will significantly enhance a soldier’s situational awareness, generate precise navigational information and provide greater command and control for army units, thus improving their performance and protection.
Advanced technologies can make a major contribution to improving the survivability, C4I capabilities, sustainability, mobility and lethality of modern military operations.
The important thing: providing the troops with an open infantry system based on modular combat equipment and delivering enhanced performance and reduced weight. And it isn’t just with regard to weight that we need to avoid overburdening the soldier: equipment should be easy to use even under tough field conditions.
A modular Argus soldier system design ensures operational flexibility and the ability to adapt to new situations and mission requirements. Moreover, modular equipment can be used in multiple ways–including by other branches of the military.