The trucks, which come with a $1.2 billion price tag, will allow the Forces "to do correctly the work Canadians expect of them, inside the country and abroad," O'Connor said at Canadian Forces Base Valcartier, near Quebec City.
O'Connor's shopping list includes 1,500 vehicles built exclusively for military purposes, and 800 commercial trucks which will be adapted for the army.
The trucks come on top of plans to acquire 300 defence systems for the Forces' armoured vehicles, 300 special tow trucks and 1,000 pieces of equipment for specialized vehicles, such as mobile kitchens and offices. Delivery of the equipment is expected to begin in 2008 following a call for tenders, and continue until 2010.
O'Connor said it's about time the Forces' aging fleet of trucks was replaced.
"The replacement of our current fleet of trucks, which came into service in the early 1980s, is long-overdue," he said.
It's the second straight day that O'Connor has announced defence spending, and other announcements are expected this week.
In Halifax on Monday, O'Connor revealed a $2.1 billion plan to build three navy supply ships.
The new trucks will allow the military to reduce transportation costs and cut down deployment time, O'Connor added.
About 800 of the vehicles will be set aside for use in Canada, while as many as 300 trucks will be outfitted to suit needs in Afghanistan.
Public Works Minister Michael Fortier said Canada will look to companies from its NATO partners to build the new fleet. But he added that didn't mean Canadian companies won't stand to benefit from the defence spending.
For every dollar a supplier receives from his contract with the government, it will have to reinvest an equal amount into the Canadian economy, Fortier said. "The money will be spent over many years, in some cases up to 20 years."
O'Connor defended the huge cost outlay for the equipment.
"The armed forces have been under-financed for 12 years," he said.
"We have to spend a lot of money to correct that and allow them do their job fully."
PUBLICATION: The Toronto Star
DATE: 2006.06.28
BYLINE: Martin Ouellet Canadian Press
SOURCE: Canadian Press
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