Enabling Victory: Canadian Military Support To Ukraine

By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans

Like so many NATO member countries Canada has contributed significantly to Ukraine's defensive capabilities after the Russian invasion of the country in February 2022. This aid has so far included eight Leopard 2A4 MBTs, 39 brand-new Armoured Combat Support Vehicles, 208 Roshel Senator infantry mobility vehicles (IMVs), four M777 towed howitzers and 4600 anti-tank weapons. Canada was also the first nation to supply Ukraine with guided artillery rounds, with an unknown number of M982 Excalibur GPS-guided shells being sent for use with Western-supplied 155mm howitzers.

The decision to supply Ukraine with brand-new armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) is a notable deviation from most other countries that have supplied Ukraine with heavy weaponry. Canada delivered 39 LAV 6.0 Armoured Combat Support Vehicles (ACSVs) throughout late 2022. Although the ACSV is produced in several different versions, it is likely that Ukraine will be the recipient of the APC variant. An earlier attempt to provide Ukraine with 25 Piranha APCs (on which the LAV/ACSV is based) fell through after Switzerland vetoed Denmark's request to deliver them. [1]

Another overlooked area of support is Canada's donation of a significant number of Wescam MX-15D forward-looking infrared (FLIR) turrets for Ukraine's Bayraktar TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs). The decision to donate Wescam MX-15Ds to Ukraine for use on Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2s is perhaps ironic as Türkiye is currently sanctioned for the supply of MX-15D-equipped TB2s to Azerbaijan.

What the future holds for further Canadian military aid to Ukraine is as of yet uncertain. A steady supply of TB2 UCAVs delivered to Ukraine could see Canada donating more Wescam MX-15D FLIR turrets, while the country's established AFV industry also allows Canada to deliver types like the ACSV and Roshel Senator without having to compromise on its own military capabilities. Canada also maintains stocks of upgraded M113 APCs that could one day be transferred to Ukraine. With the conflict marking what might well turn out to be a turning point, and the cumulative weight of allied donations showing its mark on the battlefield, Canada is sure to find other ways to keep supporting an increasingly resilient Ukraine.

The following list attempts to keep track of military equipment delivered or pledged to Ukraine by Canada shortly prior to and during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. This list is mostly based on information released by the Government of Canada. [2] The entries below are sorted by armament category (with a flag denoting the country of origin). This list will be updated as further military support is declared.

(Click on the vehicle or equipment type to get a picture of them)

Surface-To-Air Missile Systems And Missiles

1 NASAMS Battery [To be delivered]
12 AIM-120 AMRAAMs (For NASAMS II) [March 2023]

Air-To-Air Missiles

43 AIM-9 Short-Range AAMs [To be delivered]
287 AIM-7 Beyond-Visual-Range AAMs [To be delivered]

Towed Howitzers

4+ 155mm M777s [April 2022] (Including an undisclosed amount of M982 Excalibur GPS-guided shells)

Tanks

8 Leopard 2A4s [March 2023]

Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs)

39 Armoured Combat Support Vehicles (ACSVs) [December 2022]

Infantry Mobility Vehicles (IMVs)

330 Roshel Senators [Delivered since May 2022]

Engineering Vehicles And Equipment

1 Bergepanzer 3 ARV [March 2023]
2 GCS-200 Remote Controlled Mine Clearing Vehicles [May 2023]

Forward-Looking Infrared (FLIR) Turrets

76 Wescam MX-15Ds [May, June, October and November 2022] (For the Bayraktar TB2 UCAV)

Anti-Tank Weapons

100 Carl Gustaf M2 Recoilless Rifles [March and April 2022]
4500 M72 LAW Anti-Tank Weapons [March 2022]

Weapons

C8 Carbines [February or March 2022]
200+ C6 Light And C9 Medium Machine Guns [February or March 2022]
78 Medium And Heavy Calibre Sniper Rifles [March 2022]
600 Glock 17 Pistols [February or March 2022]
40 ''Prairie Gun Works'' Sniper Rifles [To be delivered]
38 7.62mm Machine Guns [To be delivered from June 2023 onwards]
21.000 5.56mm Assault Rifles [To be delivered from June 2023 onwards]

Ammunition

M982 Excalibur GPS-Guided Rounds For M777 Howitzer [April 2022]
27.000 155mm Rounds For M777 Howitzer [April, May and October 2022]
2000 84mm Rounds For Carl Gustaf M2 [March 2022]
7500 C13 Hand Grenades [March 2022]
3.9 Million Rounds Of Ammunition [Delivered from February or March 2022 onwards]
120mm Ammunition For The Leopard 2A4 [To be delivered]

Military Gear

CG634 Helmets [March 2022]
Body Armour [March 2022]
1600 Fragmentation Vests [March 2022]
Gas Masks [March 2022]
Night Vision Goggles [March 2022]
Personal Protective And Load Carriage Equipment [February or March 2022]
500.000 Sets Of Winter Clothing [October and December 2022]

Miscellaneous Equipment

76+ Wescam MX-15Ds [May, June, October, November 2022 and 2023] (For the Bayraktar TB2 UCAV)
10 155mm Barrels (For M777 Howitzers) [June 2022]
16 Radio Stations For Leopard 2A4 MBT [To be delivered]
Surveillance And Detection Equipment [February or March 2022]
$7 Million Worth Of Satellite Services [Since October 2022]
640.000 Meal, Ready-to-Eat (MREs) [Delivered since March 2022]
Portable Heaters [Since November 2022]
Thermal Blankets [Since November 2022]
Sleeping Bags [Since November 2022]
Winter Gear [Since November 2022]