Military places urgent parts order for tanks: Knowledge Driven Revolution

An urgent order for spare parts has been placed for Canada's 25-year-old battle tanks being sent to Afghanistan to support anti-Taliban operations.

The military announced last month it would send the 15 Leopard C2 tanks to Afghanistan for the more than 2,000 Canadian soldiers in the Kandahar region.

A number of the tanks have already been shipped from Alberta.

Military officials have requested a long list of parts for the tanks, which haven't been in action since Kosovo in 1999. The list includes everything from nuts and washers, to firefighting and night-vision equipment.

Lt.-Col. Chris Lemay, a Canadian Forces spokesperson, says the parts are urgently needed.

"In the last years, the C2 Leopard tanks have been kept here in Canada, waiting for replacement," said Lemay. "So, therefore … we need to upgrade the number of spare parts that we have within the Canadian Forces at this time."

The Afghan mission is a new lease on life for Canada's Leopard tank fleet.

In 2003, the former Liberal government announced it would scrap the tanks and spend $600 million, to replace them with the Mobile Gun System, an eight-wheeled light armoured vehicle with a cannon mounted on top.

Brian MacDonald, a senior analyst with the Conference of Defence Associations, says it seems those plans are on hold.

"It appears now that we are going to go with the decision that we are going to continue with the main battle tank concept rather than going with the Mobile Gun System, which is really an assault gun rather than a main battle tank," he said.

Originally developed in Germany in the 1960s, Canada bought 127 Leopard tanks in 1978-79 and upgraded them. According to the Department of National Defence, the tank can remain in service until 2010.

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