Canada to buy anti-tank weapon, counter-drone tech for unit in Latvia

VICTORIA, British Columbia — The Canadian military will fast-track the purchase of new anti-tank missiles , air defense systems and counter-drone equipment for its battlegroup in Latvia.

Defence Minister Anita Anand announced the acquisition plans on March 9, noting the systems are urgent operational requirements in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine .

“These projects will better equip our Canadian Armed Forces members deployed on NATO’s eastern flank with the capabilities that they need,” Anand told retired and serving military officers at the Conference of Defence Associations’ annual meeting in Ottawa. “Canada’s leadership of the NATO battlegroup in Latvia demonstrates our unwavering commitment to the alliance.”

Canada currently has about 700 troops in Latvia.

The Canadian military is calling the first tranche of equipment it will buy a portable anti-X missile system, or PAXM. That project will acquire anti-tank missiles, plus simulators for training.

The country will soon issue a request for bids and award a contract in mid-2023, according to Department of National Defence spokesman Dan Le Bouthillier.

The department declined to release budget details on the three new projects.

Canadian troops in Latvia will also soon receive a counter-drone system. The Counter Uncrewed Aircraft System program, or CUAS, will see the force purchase a system to protect against small drones. A request for information was issued to defense and aerospace firms on March 2.

The country is expected to award contracts for various systems in fall 2023 and January 2024. The military plans to acquire both vehicle-mounted and fixed-site systems.

The air defense project will see a soldier-portable very-short-range air defense system equip Canadian units in Latvia. The release of a request for bids is expected in the summer. The Canadian military hopes to award a contract in early 2024, Le Bouthillier said.

Canadian troops have been stationed in Latvia since 2017. In June 2022, the Canadian government reaffirmed its commitment to Latvia, noting it would improve command-and-control, air defense, and anti-tank capabilities.

In addition, Canada has spent more than CA$1 billion (U.S. $724 million) on equipping Ukraine’s military since Russia invaded the country in February 2022.

On Jan. 10, the Canadian government announced it would purchase a surface-to-air missile system for Ukraine, but no further details are available.

David Pugliese is the Canada correspondent for Defense News.

加拿大不列颠哥伦比亚省维多利亚市——加拿大军方将加快为其驻拉脱维亚战斗群采购新型反坦克导弹、防空系统和反无人机设备。

国防部长阿妮塔·阿南德于 3 月 9 日宣布了采购计划，并指出在俄罗斯入侵乌克兰之后，这些系统是迫切的作战需求。

阿南德在渥太华举行的国防协会年会上对退役和现役军官表示：“这些项目将更好地为部署在北约东翼的加拿大武装部队成员提供他们所需的能力。加拿大领导北约驻拉脱维亚战斗群，体现了我们对联盟坚定不移的承诺。”

加拿大目前在拉脱维亚驻扎着约700名士兵。

加拿大军方将首批采购的装备称为便携式反X导弹系统，简称PAXM。该项目将采购反坦克导弹以及用于训练的模拟器。

据国防部发言人丹·勒布蒂耶称，该国将很快发布招标邀请，并于 2023 年年中授予合同。

该部门拒绝透露这三个新项目的预算细节。

驻拉脱维亚的加拿大军队也将很快接收一套反无人机系统。这项名为“反无人机系统”（CUAS）的项目将使加拿大军队采购一套用于防御小型无人机的系统。3月2日，加拿大已向国防和航空航天公司发出信息征询书。

预计该国将于 2023 年秋季和 2024 年 1 月授予各种系统的合同。军方计划采购车载系统和固定式系统。

该防空项目将为驻拉脱维亚的加拿大部队配备一套单兵便携式超短程防空系统。预计将于夏季发布招标公告。勒布蒂耶表示，加拿大军方希望在2024年初授予合同。

自 2017 年以来，加拿大军队一直驻扎在拉脱维亚。2022 年 6 月，加拿大政府重申了对拉脱维亚的承诺，并指出将改善指挥控制、防空和反坦克能力。

此外，自俄罗斯于 2022 年 2 月入侵乌克兰以来，加拿大已花费超过 10 亿加元（7.24 亿美元）用于装备乌克兰军队。

1月10日，加拿大政府宣布将为乌克兰购买地对空导弹系统，但目前尚无更多细节公布。

David Pugliese 是《国防新闻》的加拿大通讯员。