Canada’s Medium Support Vehicle System (MSVS) Standard Military Pattern (SMP) programme

via Shepard Media.

Mack Defense has completed the final truck for Canada’s Medium Support Vehicle System (MSVS) Standard Military Pattern (SMP) programme.

This 1587th truck rolled off the assembly line in Saint Nicolas, Quebec, on 13 February.

Mack Defense, part of the Volvo Group, leveraged the group’s large industrial footprint and global capabilities to engineer and produce the MSVS SMP trucks. Before final production took place at a Prevost facility in Saint Nicolas, additional work was completed at facilities located in Bourg-en-Bresse, Marolles, Blainville and Limoges, France.

Canadian partners Dumur Industries, EODC, Marshall, Craig Manufacturing and Link Suspensions of Canada also contributed to the project.

Mack Defense received the contracts to deliver more than 1,500 8x8 MSVS SMP trucks, including variants such as cargo, material handling cranes, load handling systems and mobile repair trucks, in 2015.

I can understand mission specific gear but I have to wonder why Canada just doesn't glob onto what the Europe, Australia or the US Army and/or Marine Corps is doing when it comes to items like logistics vehicles.

Don't get me wrong.  I think this will be a fine vehicle and will meet their requirements.  My issue is the scale of the work.  Any of the above listed partners could lower the cost of this purchase. The entire Canadian Army is smaller than the USMC.  Piggybacking on someone's purchase would seem like a no brainer considering their size.