DAPA | Canada

[Jay]

To: Gerald Bull [Department of National Defence] < Alex > CC: KimMinseo@cheongwadae.gov, KeungRyongchang@mofa.kr.gov

From: KimJaebeom@mnd.kr.gov

Subject: ROK Army IFV Tender: LAV III Kodiac

Security: Private and encrypted Protected by the NIS and MoFA DPB

Dear Mr. Bull,

I hope this email finds you well. Regarding your countries recent offer for the LAV III Kodiac to serve as the ROK Armies Infantry Fighting Vehicle, the provided specifications has made your country amongst others a potential supplier. As we evaluate the LAV III against other competitors, we are wondering if different models of the LAV series exist. Expected to be announced next week, the ROK Marine Corps will be opening bidding on attack helicopters and amphibious vehicles to support amphibious operations. I hope to touch base to firstly discuss the bid you have made on the ROK Army Mechanized Infantry Program to supply IFVs for the ROK Army and secondly inquire about additional units your country can offer. I am also hoping that the Canadian Army could share field data on the combat effectiveness of the LAV III as well as maintenance and fuel issues that may have resulted to due extreme environment conditions. Additionally, we are wondering if our military attache in the ROK Embassy in Ottawa can preview the performance of the LAV III and other variants in service within the Canadian Army to see how the vehicle preforms.

As you are aware, the ROK Army will be purchasing these vehicles in batches, we estimate between 100 - 200 LAVs would be purchased in the first batch and shall increase this order as deemed appropriate for the national defense. As we conduct final deliberations, the information provided can help us make a partial judgement on weapons systems that will provide beneficial. We look forward to your companies cooperation in this field.

Signed,
Kim Jaebeom
Director of Defense Acquisition Program Administration

---

Republic of Korea
Ministry of National Defense
All information is protected from release by the Diplomatic Communications Security Act 1997
Authorized viewing is limited to those directly emailed, cc'd, and bcc'd​

 

[Alex]

Department of National Defence
Message to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration of the Republic of Korea
Private & Encrypted

---

To: Minister Kim Jaebeom
From: Minister Gerald Bull

Dearest Minister Kim,

I am happy to hear that the Republic of Korea is interested in the LAV III Kodiak, it is among the most well protected infantry fighting vehicles in the world. There are currently seven different variants of the LAV III Kodiak, with an additional variant currently being worked on by the Department of Research and Development (which would be available to the Republic of Korea once this variant enters service). These variants are as follows: LAV III TOW Under Armour (TUA), the standard LAV III turret having been replaced with a TOW Under Armour launcher for anti-tank purposes; LAV III Infantry Section Carrier (ISC), LAV III Kodiak hulls equipped with Nanuk remotely controlled weapon stations; LAV III Observation Post Vehicle (OPV), standard LAV III equipped for use for forward observation tasks; LAV III Engineer LAV (ELAV), equipped with a dozer blade and other engineering equipment; New Zeland LAV (NZLAV), variant used by New Zealand and used mainly for reconnaissance and observation roles; Australian LAV (ASLAV), variant used by Australia and used for reconnaissance; and lastly, the variant currently being researched and developed is the Multi-Mission Effects Vehicle (MMEV), to be equipped with an ADATS system, rockets, and anti-air missiles - essentially serving for anti-personnel, anti-air, and anti-tank roles.

Sadly, the LAV III Kodiak's standard variant is not amphibious but does offer fording capabilities. However, the ASLAV reconnaissance vehicle offers amphibious capabilities. Canada also possess other vehicles with amphibious capabilities, though these are armored personnel carriers instead of infantry fighting vehicles. If interested these vehicles are the following: Bison armored personnel carrier (with eight available variants) and the Grizzly armored personnel carrier (with two available variants). These two are also older and less capable than the LAV III Kodiak but are nonetheless still formidable vehicles.

Regarding field data of combat effectiveness, I am unable to give you a detailed overview due to national security, but I shall give you all the information that I am permitted to give you. The LAV III Kodiak is equipped with a 8x8 drive and also equipped with a central tire inflation system, which allows it to adjust to different terrain, including off-road. The vehicles is also equipped with a modern anti-locking brake system (ABS), preventing the wheels from locking up during braking, thereby maintaining tractive contact with the road surface and allowing the driver to maintain more control over the vehicle. Like many modern armored wheeled vehicles, the LAV III Kodiak's ground pressure is inherently higher than a tracked vehicle with a comparable weight - meaning that it is possible the vehicle sinks into soft ground and becomes stuck - however, due to the vehicle's ability to deflate its tires slightly the surface area in contact with the ground increases and lowers the chances of the vehicle to sink into said soft ground. Due to the LAV III Kodiak being wheeled, it offers less maintenance than tracked vehicles and moves more silently than tracked vehicles, offering better stealth when moving in enemy territory - due to the wheels, there is also higher clearance from the ground (allowing a higher chance of survival for the crew if hit by IED mines) and higher speeds on good terrain. The armor of the LAV III Kodiak provides all-round protection against 7.62x51mm small caliber rounds - if added with the ceramic MEXAS armor it would provide all-round protection against 14.5x114mm heavy caliber rounds from 500 meters - the front armor of the Kodiak with add-on armor plates can withstand hits from 30 mm cannons. The LAV III can be also fitted with cage armor, which provides protection against shaped charges (anti-tank missiles/grenades). The LAV III is also fitted with a nuclear, biological, chemical (NBC) filtration system accompanied with a GID-3 chemical detector and AN/VDR-2 radiation detector systems. The LAV III was designed to produce a very low and very compact structure to minimize radar and IR-signatures. Lastly, the LAV III also uses heat-absorbing filters to provide temporary protection against thermal imaging (TIS), image intensifiers and infrared cameras (IR).

The main turret of the LAV III is a 25mm M242 Bushmaster chain gun, offering 360 degree protection, with a stored 500 bullets. The second armament are a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun, with a stored 2,000 bullets, and a 5.56mm machine gun, with a stored 1,000 bullets. The 350HP Caterpillar diesel engine offers speeds of up to 100km/h and a maximum range of 450KM. Fuel can be stored either inside the vehicle or on the outside, or can be quickly refueled by refueling tankers.

While the Royal Canadian Army currently does not operate any LAV III Kodiaks, because of funding issues due to the current global economic situation, we would be willing to produce a handful of them (free of charge) to have Canadian troops demonstrate the capabilities of the vehicle for your military attaché in Ottawa. We would be willing to demonstrate the maneuverability, defensive, and offensive capabilities of the LAV III Kodiak at out training facility in Wainwright, Alberta.

Kindest Regards,
Gerald Bull
Minister of National Defence
Canada

Jay

 

[Jay]

To: Gerald Bull [Department of National Defence] < Alex > CC: KimMinseo@cheongwadae.gov, KeungRyongchang@mofa.kr.gov

From: KimJaebeom@mnd.kr.gov

Subject: ROK Army IFV Tender: LAV III Kodiac

Security: Private and encrypted Protected by the NIS and MoFA DPB

Dear Mr. Bull,

Thank you for the previous email. Your overview was quiet comprehensive and descriptive and I appreciate the effort given to give us a full understanding. We would before we agree to purchase the LAV III, would like to see a field-test with the Canadian Army, alongside sending a team of ROK military engineers and others to oversee alongside our military attache an exercise of the LAV.

With regards to our expected purchases, we would like to purchase 75 LAV III Kodiacs with armor rings and extra armor, 50 LAV III (ISC), 45 ASLAV, and 10 LAV III Engineering vehicles. If we could get a price expectation for purchasing, as well as a break down of cost per vehicle to adjust our order accordingly.

On a note, the Foreign Ministry is extremely concerned with the current domestic political situation in Canada. The high volatility makes securing a contract with Canada very difficult through our agency oversight committees. Primarily the ability of your government to secure and transfer funds, to build and transfer vehicles, etc...We would like to know the current political situation as well as what plans your country may have to deal with the current situation. It is extremely concerning the rising violence as well as economic situation, we hope that this will not affect an agreement to purchase vehicles from Canada, as well as to a long-term bilateral agreement.

Signed,
Kim Jaebeom
Director of Defense Acquisition Program Administration

---

Republic of Korea
Ministry of National Defense
All information is protected from release by the Diplomatic Communications Security Act 1997
Authorized viewing is limited to those directly emailed, cc'd, and bcc'd​

 

[Alex]

Department of National Defence
Message to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration of the Republic of Korea
Private & Encrypted

---

To: Minister Kim Jaebeom
From: Minister Gerald Bull

Dearest Minister Kim,

We are currently producing six LAV III Kodiaks for demonstration purposes, they will be ready for these demonstrations within the next week. These demonstrations will include terrain, maneuverability, offensive capabilities, alongside defensive capabilities. We are open to the Republic of Korea sending engineers and others to oversee these demonstrations and exercise, given that you send the information of who will be arriving, in what numbers, and the length of their durations.

The prices per unit of the LAV III Kodiak, LAV III ISC, and the LAV III ELAV are identical and thus the one-hundred-and-thirty-five vehicles will total to a cost of: 610,370,017.65$. The ASLAV recon vehicle cost per unit is 1,767,812.20$ and the forty-five ASLAVs would have a total cost of: 79,551,549.00$. Therefore, the total cost of the ordered one-hundred-and-eighty vehicles will be a total of: 689,921,566.65$

Regarding the current riots, I understand your concerns. However, I would like to make it clear that the situations in Vancouver and Montreal have both been resolved. The riots remain only in the city of Toronto, which is currently under martial law. The military and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are making good ground to locate, arrest, and disperse many rioters and domestic terrorists. It is our hopes that the situation will dwindle back down to peace by the end of the month. Regarding the economic situation, we are nowhere near the depression that Russia and India are currently facing, it is our hopes that we exit debt within a few months.

However, if it would make your government more comfortable, we could sign a contract stating various concerns that you may have and if these concerns are/aren't met we would be forced to reimburse the Republic of Korea in-full. If something of the sorts would be of interest for you to safeguard your money and the delivery of purchased products, please let me know.

Kindest Regards,
Gerald Bull
Minister of National Defence
Canada

Jay

 

[Jay]

To: Gerald Bull [Department of National Defence] < Alex > CC: KimMinseo@cheongwadae.gov, KeungRyongchang@mofa.kr.gov

From: KimJaebeom@mnd.kr.gov

Subject: ROK Army IFV Tender: LAV III Kodiac

Security: Private and encrypted Protected by the NIS and MoFA DPB

Dear Mr. Bull,

Thank you for the comprehensive overview in your previous email. We would like to proceed with the live demonstrations before making the final awards to bidding companies. We appreciate your countries up to date and continued support and information. We would prefer to host the exercise in Western Canada if that is appropriate where the violence has been resolved. While the situation is currently not akin to that in Russia or Ukraine, the situation may always deteriorate, while we have no doubt the Canadian government will get a handle on the situation. We would prefer to proceed with the special-clause safeguarding and ensuring delivery. We hope this does not come in any shape or form as looking down upon Canada and its governance, as a strong partner, historic ally, the Korean people and government have had a long history of relations with Canada and Canadians. It was a Canadian missionary who documented Japanese atrocities against the Korean people during the 3-1 movement.

We look forward to the test, and hopefully signing an agreement with Canada to begin production of these vehicles for the ROK Army and Marine Corps.

Signed,
Kim Jaebeom
Director of Defense Acquisition Program Administration

---

Republic of Korea
Ministry of National Defense
All information is protected from release by the Diplomatic Communications Security Act 1997
Authorized viewing is limited to those directly emailed, cc'd, and bcc'd​

 

[Alex]

Department of National Defence
Message to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration of the Republic of Korea
Private & Encrypted

---

To: Minister Kim Jaebeom
From: Minister Gerald Bull

Dearest Minister Kim,

No offense is taken, I understand your concerns.

The exercises and demonstrations will take place in Suffield, Alberta. It is in central Canada, where no violence has occurred. It is also our largest training facility, allowing for many types of demonstrations, including the survivability of the LAV III Kodiak against various ammunitions and explosives. However, if you would rather, we do have other training facilities. Only two, however. Canadian Forces Base Shilo, located in Manitoba and Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, located in New Brunswick. Let me know which would serve you best, though I do highly recommend CFB Suffield.

Furthermore, while we are still communicating. The Royal Canadian Navy currently operates four Jang Bobo-class submarines which we acquired from Korea's last government and are used for coastal defence purposes. I am hoping that we would be able to work out a contract to offer local Canadian maintenance for these submarines to assure that they can remain in use for the coming years. The navy was also interested in acquiring extremely capable destroyers for our eventual carrier strike group, the Sejong the Great-class destroyer has been at the top of our acquisition list for this role. If possible, we were interested in acquiring three of these destroyers alongside maintenance licenses for the Jang Bobo-class submarines.

Would this be possible to discuss?

Kindest Regards,
Gerald Bull
Minister of National Defence
Canada

Jay

 

[Jay]

To: Gerald Bull [Department of National Defence] < Alex > CC: KimMinseo@cheongwadae.gov, KeungRyongchang@mofa.kr.gov

From: KimJaebeom@mnd.kr.gov

Subject: RE: ROK Army IFV Tender: LAV III Kodiac

Security: Private and encrypted Protected by the NIS and MoFA DPB

Dear Mr. Bull,

We appreciate your willingness to accommodate our concerns and needs. We have the trust that the Alberta facilities are secure, but also the most optimal location for the testing. We would like to proceed with your recommendation for the CFB Suffield.

With regards to your second question, I believe it would be fair to swap maintenance licenses, for Hyundai and Daewoo to be given licenses to produce armor, munition, and spare-parts for all LAVs purchased under the agreement, and for a Canadian company to be given the rights to provide maintenance for the submarine as well as if required assistance from Korean corporations to facilitate the necessary production facilities for this mission. However, the Sejong the Great class destroyers are unfortunately not available for export, as one of the latest and most advanced naval vessels in the globe, its production and development are both highly classified and protected.

We are happy to provide alternative options to your naval queries and hope that you would find other naval vessels developed by the KDIA to be suitable.

Signed with sincerity,
Kim Jaebeom
Director of Defense Acquisition Program Administration

---

Republic of Korea
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
All information is protected from release by the Diplomatic Communications Security Act 1997
Authorized viewing is limited to those directly emailed, cc'd, and bcc'd​

 

[Alex]

Department of National Defence
Message to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration of the Republic of Korea
Private & Encrypted

---

To: Minister Kim Jaebeom
From: Minister Gerald Bull

Dearest Minister Kim,

I see. That's unfortunate to hear, our naval forces will have to go with our second choices with the United States. Regarding the maintenance licenses, BAE Systems Canada will be more than happy to send you the required documents alongside the rights to manufacture all the needed parts and ammunitions to maintain the LAV III Kodiaks and the ASLAVs for the coming years. However, while we are still discussing this, the terms of the sale to the Republic of Korea brings a few terms. Such as Korea not being permitted to sell, scrap, donate, trade, or use our products for any research and development purposes without explicit consent from the Canadian government. If the Republic of Korea believes that the LAV III Kodiaks and ASLAVs are no longer needed within the armed forces, please contact us and we will most likely purchase them from your armed forces or find an alternative solution.

Now that that is covered, the six LAV III Kodiaks that BAE Systems Canada have produced for the demonstrations in Alberta have completed their construction and are ready for showing. Whenever your military attaché is ready, we will begin the demonstrations.

Kindest Regards,
Gerald Bull
Minister of National Defence
Canada

Jay

 

[Jay]

To: Gerald Bull [Department of National Defence] < Alex > CC: KimMinseo@cheongwadae.gov, KeungRyongchang@mofa.kr.gov

From: KimJaebeom@mnd.kr.gov

Subject: RE: ROK Army IFV Tender: LAV III Kodiac

Security: Private and encrypted Protected by the NIS and MoFA DPB

Dear Mr. Bull,

Please accept our humblest of apologies and deep regret over this. With regards to the terms over the procurement of arms, we would prefer to have the right to scrap the purchased items at a later time should it be deemed that the procured systems are no longer needed. as well as the ability to use the spare parts and armor on other vehicles based on the determination of the ROK army and Marine Corps. Aside from this, we agree to the general practices of not selling, donating, trading, or using the technology for purposes outside the mutually agreed areas by both Canada and Korea.

We can dispatch our military attachés from our Embassy in Washington D.C. and they should arrive after by the evening and be ready for the demonstration by the following morning. We look forward to hearing back over this and to finalize an agreement should it be deemed suitable.

Signed with sincerity,
Kim Jaebeom
Director of Defense Acquisition Program Administration

---

Republic of Korea
Ministry of National Defense
All information is protected from release by the Diplomatic Communications Security Act 1997
Authorized viewing is limited to those directly emailed, cc'd, and bcc'd​

 

[Alex]

Department of National Defence
Message to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration of the Republic of Korea
Private & Encrypted

---

To: Minister Kim Jaebeom
From: Minister Gerald Bull

Dearest Minister Kim,

Upon further investigation and research, the Royal Canadian Navy have brought my attention to the Korean ship class known as the Chungmugong Yi Sun-sub-class destroyer. After researching this ship I have decided to agree with the navy that this ship would prove valuable and fits the criteria of our desired carrier escorts. Would this ship be available for export to Canada? If so, we would request that the ships come equipped with both the K-ASROC Red Shark anti-submarine missiles and the Hyunmoo III land attack cruise missiles. Additionally, we hope that our planned purchase of three of these destroyers would also be included in our deal for Korea to offer maintenance licenses for Korean vessels operated by the Royal Canadian Navy.

Regarding the potential scraping of the LAV III Kodiaks, we are not outright denying Korea from scrapping them. However, the Canadian military is always interested in increasing its size and stockpile of reserve equipment and therefore we do ask that Korea first contact Canada in the potential case that we would like to purchase the vehicles beforehand. If we would purchase these vehicles, we would do so at 75% of the base production price - offering Korea a 15% profit compared to scrapping. But, if Canada is unavailable to contact or if we do not reply within three days (72 hours) of Korea's message to us, then Korea will be free to scrap the vehicles without repercussion. This term to the scraping of the vehicles does not apply if the vehicles are damaged. We are also not opposed to your armed forces using LAV III Kodiak and ASLAV parts to repair and maintain other vehicles of its same class.

Is this acceptable?

Kindest Regards,
Gerald Bull
Minister of National Defence
Canada

Jay

 

[Jay]

To: Gerald Bull [Department of National Defence] < Alex > CC: KimMinseo@cheongwadae.gov, KeungRyongchang@mofa.kr.gov

From: KimJaebeom@mnd.kr.gov

Subject: RE: ROK Army IFV Tender: LAV III Kodiac

Security: Private and encrypted Protected by the NIS and MoFA DPB

Dear Minister Bull,

The Republic of Korea is more than happy to sign an agreement to supply the Canadian Navy with three Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin class destroyers. While the ship is still advanced, we are able to export this to Canada. The Republic of Korea continues to hold Canada in a positive light, even with current events, the sacrifices of the Canadian Army in Korea are never forgotten. In this respect, our government believes it is a moral duty to assist a Canada which shares the same values of Korea to be able to defend itself. While we can not equip the ships with the K-ASROC Red Shark as they are still being experimented with to be compatible with this class of destroyers, once they are capable of being deployed our government would be happy to upgrade the ships to include the K-ASROC Red Shark. We will be able to use the Hyunmoo III cruise missile on the vessels and will be of the same capacity of other Navy ships.

We would be happy to jointly conduct maintenance with these ships considering the high level of technical requirements, specific Korean parts, etc...We believe it is perhaps possible for a Korean maintenance and weapons manufacturing company to open in Canada to jointly cooperate to conduct regular maintenance, upgrades, and supply munitions for the submarines and ships in service for the Canadian Navy. Aside from this, the Canadian Government would be agreeing to the basic terms of the KDIA as well as the following specific requirements for the advanced technology on the Yi Sun-sin destroyers.

1. Canada agrees not to share or provide technical data and specifications of the vessels it has purchased from the Republic of Korea to any non-signatory party or entity,

With regards to the LAV scrapping aspect, we believe this is a fair arrangement and find it acceptable. We were under the impression we couldn't scrap it at all. Thank you for the clarification. Thank you for the clarity and the other aspects of the arrangement. With regards to the order, we would like to change our order size. Due to financial reasons we would like to purchase 135 LAV ISC first, and then purchase an additional 135 LAV III Kodiacs after. The total size order of LAV III would be 270. We would like for a third order to be then made for 75 ASLAVs equipped with the same ISC remote weapons on try LAV III ISC. As the order for 345 vehicles would be close to $1.7 billion which we would like to instead purchase in batches to relieve the burden of procurement.

Signed with sincerity,
Kim Jaebeom
Director of Defense Acquisition Program Administration

---

Republic of Korea
Ministry of National Defense
All information is protected from release by the Diplomatic Communications Security Act 1997
Authorized viewing is limited to those directly emailed, cc'd, and bcc'd​

 

[Alex]

Department of National Defence
Message to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration of the Republic of Korea
Private & Encrypted

---

To: Minister Kim Jaebeom
From: Minister Gerald Bull

Dearest Minister Kim,

Unfortunately, I have been recently notified that the budget for new military equipment has been drastically cut due to unforeseen events. Because of this, we will have to delay the purchase of these vessels until a later debt when the budget for acquisition because more liberal. I would like to formally apologize about this and if our planned purchase wasted any of your time.

In regards to South Korea's revised order size. One-hundred-and-thirty-five LAV III ISCs would cost a total of 610,370,018.00$ and the following one-hundred-and-thirty-five LAV III Kodiaks would come to the same price. The seventy-five ASLAVs equipped with the remote weapons system would come to a cost of 132,585,915.00$. The total cost of all of these vehicles and their three batches combined comes to 1,485,911,866.00$. However, a question: when you state that you wish for the ASLAVs to be equipped with the remote weapons system, do you wish for the RWS to replace the turret of the vehicle or simply accompany it?

As mentioned before, the LAV III Kodiaks that were manufactured for demonstrations have arrived at CFB Suffield and is ready for demonstration. However, as I am currently in a meeting with Prime Minister Peter MacKay and American diplomats I will not be able to attend. Instead I will be sending Associate Minister of National Defence Bernard Valcourt, Brigadier-General Albert Haines, and Anne Healy, General Manager of BAE Land Systems of Canada. They should be able to answer any potential questions that you or your representative and troops may have.

If they cannot, then please do not hesitate to contact me again.

Kindest Regards,
Gerald Bull
Minister of National Defence
Canada

_____

OOC

As per request by Jay, the demonstration post will be done in one go.

LAV III Kodiak On Display at CFB, Suffield.​	LAV III Kodiak Off-Roading.​	LAV III Kodiak Demonstrating Combat Effectiveness.​

Secret
Associate Minister of National Defence Bernard Valcourt, Brigadier-General Albert Haines (who had served with LAV III Kodiaks in the past), and General Manager of BAE Land Systems of Canada Anne Healy had all gathered at CFB Suffield in Alberta for the demonstration of the LAV III Kodiak infantry fighting vehicles for the Korean armed forces. A total of six of the vehicles had been shipped by train right out of the factory to be used, four of these would most likely end up being destroyed by the harsh armament demonstrations while the other two would still be service worthy by the end of it all. Alongside the specialists and experts waiting were also a company of Canadian soldiers who all had previous experience with the vehicle and were prepared to teach the Korean soldiers the basics.

The twenty individuals that the Koreans were sending would be beaconed to CFB Uplands when their aircraft reached Canadian airspace. When they touched down in the airbase, they would be boarded onto a CC-150 Polaris VIP airliner and would be flown from Ottawa to CFB Cold Lake and then from there would be boarded onto a Chinook helicopter which would fly south to CFB Suffield and touch down on one of its many helipads.

The Canadian specialists would greet them and assure that they had everything they needed, stopping by the cafeteria if they wished for food or beverage. If they did not then, due to the duration that these demonstrations would take, they would be brought to where the LAV III Kodiaks were currently on display.

They would allow the Koreans to inspect the vehicle as they saw fit; the outside, the inside, the weapons, so on and so forth. However, until the demonstrations would begin, none of the vehicles were supplied with ammunition. Each LAV III Kodiak had a highly protected ballistic windshield for the driver and allowed the driver to have a view of 180 degrees around the vehicle, two doors were situated in the back of the vehicle which allowed the rear passengers to enter and exit the vehicle quickly and six hatches were located at the top of the vehicle (two on the turret and four in the rear) to give the soldiers to ability to fight from inside the vehicle. The LAV III Kodiak only required a minimum of three soldiers to be operated to its fullest capabilities, while six to seven passengers could fit in the back of the vehicle.

Once the basic inspections were done, the demonstrations of the LAV III mobility and maneuverability would be done. CFB Suffield was located on Highway 884 of Alberta, allowing for easy paved road access and warnings had been issued of the road’s closure near the base which would avoid civilians getting in the way. General Manager Anne Healy would begin the demonstrations. “The Kodiak is fitted with a Caterpillar 3126 diesel engine with a horsepower of three-hundred-and-fifty, allowing it to reach the speeds of 100km/h. The fuselage capabilities of the Kodiak allows it to have a range of four-hundred-and-fifty kilometers. This places the Kodiak’s range on par with American, German, Italian, and British infantry fighting vehicles and in many cases, the Kodiak will have a higher road speed than foreign IFVs.”

Roughly two kilometers down the highway a LAV III Kodiak and a RG-31 Nyala IMV, both in service with the Canadian Army. A Canadian soldier would be stationed in the passenger seat of these two vehicles while a Korean troop would be allowed to drive the vehicles. The premise of this demonstration would be to show that the Kodiak could keep up with the speeds of a light, four wheeled vehicle on paved roads. The observers were situated behind CFB Suffield’s main gate while the Korean troops inside the vehicles were told to go as fast as they could. The build-up speed was clearly slower for the Kodiak due to its weight, but as time passed the Kodiak easily caught up to the Nyala which were both going well over 90km/h on the highway. When they passed the observers, the Koreans were notified to break the vehicle immediately. In doing so the Kodiak demonstrated that its braking capabilities were modern and superior to many other vehicles, stopping almost instantly.

Alongside the highway were various gravel and ground roads that led off into fields. There was mud, snow, and hills to continue demonstrating the vehicle's capabilities. The vehicle is fitted with a 8x8 drive and also equipped with a central tire inflation system, which allows it to adjust to different terrain, including off-road. The wheels molded and adjusted to the terrain that it was on, becoming harder through snow and flat roads and softer when met with hills and holes within the road. All of this allowed the Kodiak to remain at relatively high off-road speeds without tipping over, getting stuck, or losing its speed immensely. Once the Koreans had tested the mobility and maneuverability for themselves, the Canadians would begin driving (having more experience with the vehicle) and would begin demonstrating the vehicle against slopes, trenches and other obstacles.

When all of this was done, G-Wagons would be waiting for the observers to take them deeper into CFB Suffield where they would begin demonstrating various explosives and ammunition against the Kodiak. Four (one of which was equipped with the add-on ceramic armor) Kodiaks would be situated in the field, far enough from each other that explosives would not hit the other. Inside each Kodiak were ten dummies seated within each seat to demonstrate the protection that the Kodiak offers, the dummies becoming highly damaged were the ammunition and explosives to get through.

For the first Kodiak, Canadian troops would be prepared with various firearms: Hi-Power 9mm pistols, Colt C7 5.56mm assault rifles, C6 7.62mm light machine gun, and a C15 12.7mm anti-materiel sniper rifle. Brigadier-General Albert Haines would be the one to speak this time. “The LAV III Kodiak offers all-around protection from 7.62mm ammunitions and any smaller caliber. As you can notice with the fourth Kodiak, it is equipped with add-on ceramic armor, offering it protection from up-to 14.5mm ammunition. With this add-on armor, the front of the Kodiak can withstand hits from ammunition calibers up-to 30mm.” With that said, before demonstrations began, sound-proof ear-muffs would be handed out to those who wished to leave the base without tinnitus and binoculars would also be given as the persons were situated at a far enough distance to be safe from explosives.

They would use the first Kodiak for demonstrations, the one without the add-on armor. First came the pistols whose 9mm ammunition did nothing to the Kodiak, some of the bullets even bouncing off of the vehicle. Then was the C7 rifle, the 5.56mm ammunition did more damage than the 9mm but could still not penetrate its armor. The C6 was next and the spray that it gave against the Kodiak could not penetrate its armor, however, when one of the troops shot at the same spot constantly, the 7.62mm eventually penetrated. “As you can see,” the Brigadier-General spoke again, “the 7.62mm may go through the armor of the Kodiak but this is only if the armor is hit constantly in the same spot. Of course, this is highly unlikely in combat.” Lastly came out the anti-materiel rifle whose 12.7mm ammunition easily pierced through the armor of the Kodiak. “Notice how easily this anti-materiel round pierced through the Kodiak’s basic armor. And now notice its difficulty when it attempts to do the same against the Ceramic add-on armor.” The sniper focused his attention against the Kodiak with the add-on armor and fired a shot. The bullet lodged itself inside the armor, but did not pierce it. “And now to demonstrate the protection which the ceramic armor gives to the driver of the vehicle.” One of the LAV III Kodiaks that was used on the roads would have been loaded with ammunition for its 25mm chain gun. Driving up to the Kodiak with add-on armor, it sprayed its chain gun against the front armor - none of the bullets pierced. “The add-on ceramic armor protects the vehicle from 14mm ammunitions and the front of the vehicle from 30mm cannons.”

With that came the second demonstration against a third and fourth Kodiak. This time the Canadian troops were armed with the following: a Carl Gustav recoilless rifle that fired 84mm ammunitions, a M72 LAW which fired 66mm ammunitions, and a BGM-71 TOW which fired 152mm ammunitions. “Bare in mind that all of these will pierce the armor of the LAV III Kodiak,” Anne Healy stated, “but this demonstration is to show the protection of the LAV III Kodiak in the events that the armor is pierced in combat.” With that said, the demonstrations began - this time, however, the demonstrators were brought even further back to avoid interference with the launchers.

Each of the launchers would fire at the center of the vehicles. Each of the rockets would pierce the vehicle, the M72 LAW doing the less amount of damage and showing the most survivability chance, the Carl Gustave doing a lot of damage and showing a low survivability chance, and the TOW completely destroying the Kodiak and showing next-to no possibility of survivability. “As you can see, the base Kodiak does not do great against direct rocket hits, but not many armored vehicles do. This is why the LAV III Kodiak, alongside the ceramic add-on armor, can be equipped with cage armor. This armor increases the survivability rates immensely as the armor acts as a shield against rockets - the rockets hitting the cage armor and detonating without directly hitting the Kodiak’s armor.”

The last Kodiak to be demonstrated against would be done with a remote detonated mine (for the safety of Canadian troops) being placed directly underneath the Kodiak. Once everyone was at a safe distance, the mine would be detonated. The Kodiak was rendered inoperable but the dummies inside the Kodiak suffered only minor ‘injuries’, demonstrating that if the vehicle hit a mine, the crew would survive.

Anne Healy would make a final comment. “Wheeled vehicles are more likely to survive direct hits against mines than tracked vehicles. If the LAV III Kodiak manufactured for the Korean armed forces was also equipped with a Nanuk Remotely Controlled Weapon System, the rates of survival would only increase as the crew would be able to use weapons without opening the hatches or doors of the Kodiak. We would also be willing to produce the Kodiaks for your military with add-on ceramic armor, called MEXAS and/or with cage armor as well.”

“I believe that concludes the demonstrations,” the Associate Minister of National Defence, Bernard Valcourt stated, “do you have any questions or concerns?”

 

[Jay]

The ROK Army personnel watched the demonstration and found the systems were far more adequate than anticipated. The ability to drive and experience the vehicles was a plus and the ROK Army personnel would take the opportunity to see the vehicle for themselves. The LAV for a lightly armored vehicle was well equipped for their expectations for service. Far more so that heavily armored vehicles would be needed to deal with the threat poised experienced by ROK personnel in India and the Embassy in Dhaka, highly armored and mobile vehicles were essential for the ROK Army. As the demonstration finished, the senior mission chief, Captain Kim Pyokchil would speak with the Canadians as they wrapped up the well done exercise. "Thank you for the well done presentation. I think we chose the right vehicle to supply the ROK Army with, and hopefully, future purchases will be made. We would like the add-on armor as well as cage armors to be added, additionally, we would like all the vehicles we purchase to be equipped with the Nanuk RCWS. Aside from this, we hope that we can finalize the agreement and begin the production process and payment. Of course, both our countries have experienced economic issues that unfortunately take jabs at our production capabilities, and as your previous email informed our government, we do hope the issues are resolved. On the issue fo the ASLAVs, the Marine Corps to our understanding wish the RWS to accompany the main 25mm turret. With this aside, when the production issues here are solved, we are happy to move ahead with the purchase."

Alex

 

[Alex]

The government of Canada would have become pre-occupied as of recently and the production plants would slow due to it. The Canadians would notify the Korean government that they would offer them a temporary domestic production license for their requested vehicles instead for the price of 1,225,055,768.70$

This domestic production license would also include the Nanuq RWS, MEXAS armor add-ons, and the cage armor for the ASLAVs and LAV III Kodiaks. The Korean government would be notified that adding MEXAS armor to the ASLAV would render it too heavy to be amphibious and would instead recommend to only add cage armor to the vehicle, adding additional protection to RPGs.

Jay