Royal Canadian Armoured Corps (RCAC) 1945-2024

Royal Canadian Armoured Corps (RCAC)

(York Sunbury Historical Society, Fredericton Region Museum Collection Photo)

1997.28.34.

Post Second World War to Present Day

The photos on these pages have been gleaned from the Library and Archives Canada collection and a few by the author.  Many of the photos were filed with detailed information missing from the caption section.  This set of photos has been collated and compiled by the author with information added where photos can be compared with existing tanks and armoured fighting vehicles.  There are errors in some of the data, and any additions, corrections or amendments to data concerning the posted photos here would be most welcome and may be e-mailed to the author at hskaarup@rogers.com.

Canadian Armour post Second World War

(DND Photo via Anthony Sewards)

Royal Canadian Armoured Corp Parade at Camp Borden, Ontario, 14 Aug 1966.   Major General Frederic Franklin Worthington, MC, MM, CD, Colonel C.A. Greenleaf - Commandant / Director of Armour, Lt. Geddrey - Aide De Camp to the Colonel Commandant, taking the salute from the First World War Autocar Machinegun Carrier.  This vehicle is now in the Canadian War Museum.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4235868)

M113 APC, soldier with FNC1 rifle.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4235941)

M113 APC, Severn River, Ontario.

 (Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4235944)

M113 APC, Severn River, Ontario.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4235948)

M113 APC, Severn River, Ontario.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3931030)

M113 with TOW launcher and .50 HMG, Ex Brave Lion, 1986.

Exercise Brave Lion was designed to test the Canadian Air-Sea Transportable Brigade Group, or CAST, which was a Canadian Forces battle group dedicated to the rapid reinforcement of Norway in the event of a land war in Europe.  The Group was based on a mechanized infantry brigade, supported by two Rapid Reinforcement Fighter Squadrons equipped with Canadair CF-116 Freedom Fighters and a variety of supporting units.  Manpower varied between 4,800 and 5,500 troops depending on how it was counted.  CAST formed in 1968 as part of a widespread realignment of Canadian forces in Europe, and disbanded again in 1989 when the Forces were recombined into larger battalion sized group in West Germany.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4221652)

M113 C & R Lynx boarding a barge on exercise, Bavaria, Germany, 1964.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3930991)

Bandvagen BV-206 on operations 1988.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3930986)

AVGP Grizzly on exercise, Brennfjell, Norway, 30 Mar 1984.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3930983)

AVGP Grizzly on exercise, Skibotn, Norway, 1984.

(Author Photo)

LAV III on duty, heading out of the Engineer Compound at 5 CDSB Gagetown, New Brunswick, 5 May 2014.

(CF Photo)

Bison Maintenance vehicle, call sign 88A, Kabul Airfield, Afghanistan, 2003, with a Lockheed CC-130 Hercules in the background.

(Author Photo)

Leopard 2A6M with L/55 barrel, C Sqn, RCD, 5 CDSB Gagetown, Oct 2016.

The Canadian Army acquired 80 Leopard 2A4 and 20 Leopard 2A6 tanks from the Netherlands in 2007.  Twenty Leopard 2A6M were borrowed from the German Army beginning in mid-2007 to support the Canadian deployment to Afghanistan, with the first tank handed over after upgrading by KMW on 2 August 2007, and arriving in Afghanistan on 16 August 16, 2007.  Two Bergepanzer 3 Büffel were purchased from the German Army for use with the Canadian deployment in Afghanistan.  An additional fifteen Leopard 2A4 tanks were purchased from the German Army as Logistic Supply Vehicles (for spare parts).  A further 12 surplus Pz 87 were purchased from Switzerland in 2011 for conversion to armoured recovery vehicles.  A final total of 112 tanks of all variants is to be fielded by the Canadian Army: 82 gun tanks (42 2A4+, 20 2A4M CAN and 20 2A6M CAN - all delivered as of March 2016),  12 ARVs (11 of 12 delivered as of March 2016) and 18 AEVs (conversion of which is ongoing).

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4849068)

Taurus Armoured Recovery Vehicle (ARV), 4 CMBG, Ex Certain Sentinel, Germany, Feb 1979.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4886180)

Taurus Armoured Recovery Vehicle (ARV), 4 CMBG, Ex Certain Sentinel, Germany, Feb 1979.

The Taurus armoured recovery vehicle (ARV) is designed to recover and tow vehicles bogged down or disabled by enemy action or mechanical failure.  It is also capable of carrying out bulldozing operations, changing components such as turrets on other vehicles, and fuelling vehicles. The winch has a 35,000 kg pull, up to 100,000 kg at 3 to 1 mechanical advantage.  The Taurus armoured recovery vehicle can pull maximum transmission unit power packs and, in a pinch, can pull the entire Leopard C2 turret, including the 105-mm gun.

(CF Photo)

Taurus ARV, Masum Ghar, Afghanistan.

(Author Photo)

Wisent 2 Armoured Engineer Vehicle (AEV), 5 Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown, New Brunswick, 24 Nov 2016.  

The Wisent 2 Armoured Engineering Vehicle is is based on the Leopard 2 main battle tank and is designed to provide engineer support to mechanized combat forces. It is one of 17 produced by FFG in New Brunswick for the Canadian Army.  The Wisent 2 is capable of performing a wide range of tasks under battlefield conditions including dozing, ripping, excavating, craning, grappling, welding, cutting, winching, and towing”.

 (Author Photo)

MTV-R (Mobile Tactical Vehicle Recovery) Recovery vehicle, equipped with a 20,000 kg winch and an integrated crane.  This is an M113 ARV variant with Palfinger crane, Armour School lines, 5 Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown, New Brunswick.

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