Canada Delivers LAV 6.0 Armored Personnel Carriers to Ukraine

On October 26, 2024, Canada delivered a new batch of LAV 6.0 ACSV armored personnel carriers (APCs) to Ukraine, specifically in a medical configuration. This information was shared by the Canadian Armed Forces' Joint Task Force Ukraine (Operation UNIFIER) via their account on X.

The shipment follows the completion of training sessions focused on the operation and maintenance of the vehicles, which took place in Germany.

The decision to transfer these APCs was first announced in September 2024 during a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Canada. At that time, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that Ottawa would invest 650 million Canadian dollars over three years to provide Ukraine with 50 of these domestically produced armored vehicles.

The initial group of ten LAV 6.0 APCs was sent from Canada to Germany in June 2024 to facilitate the training of Ukrainian crews. Canadian Minister of National Defense Bill Blair emphasized Canada’s ongoing support for Ukraine, stating, “Ukraine must win this war, and Canada will stand by them until victory is achieved.”

The shipment includes ten APCs configured for medical transport to assist in evacuating wounded soldiers. It was initially anticipated that the new ACSV units would reach the front lines no earlier than autumn 2024, pending comprehensive training for Ukrainian personnel in operating and maintaining the vehicles. Some Ukrainian units already have experience with these APCs, as LAV 6.0 models were previously spotted in use by the Ukrainian Armed Forces as early as December 2022.

In late September 2024, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces released images of Ukrainian servicemen training on the Canadian LAV 6.0 APCs in their medical configuration.

The LAV 6.0 ACSV is an advanced wheeled armored vehicle designed on a modernized LAV 3 chassis, featuring an 8×8 wheel configuration. It offers enhanced protection capable of withstanding armor-piercing rounds from heavy machine guns. The vehicles are also equipped with advanced surveillance systems, a remotely operated Protector RWS, and a new engine delivering 450 horsepower, allowing them to reach speeds of up to 100 km/h on highways and 40 km/h off-road.