LAV 6.0

Light Armored Vehicles

The LAV III Upgrade Project (LAV-UP) will upgrade 550 LAV IIIs of Canada's fleet in four variants: the Infantry Section Carrier, Command Post, Observation Post Vehicle and Engineer variants. Each will undergo a comprehensive upgrade aimed at extending their lifecycle to 2035.

These upgrades will allow for significant improvements in survivability, mobility and lethality. Survivability enhancements include switching to a Double-V Hull offering inherent and weight efficient protection from mine and IED threats as well as energy-attenuating seats at all crew locations. A more powerful 450hp engine is included as well as upgrades to the drivetrain and suspension. Turret sights will be upgraded to extend their range and gun control electronics are being improved to reduce crew workload. The fully upgraded vehicle weighs 55,000lbs (25,000kg), but testing has demonstrated that its mobility is comparable to or better than the original high-mobility 38,000lb APC vehicle that the upgrade is based on.