A military conference in London Wednesday turned into a coming-out party for General Dynamics Land Systems Canada.

Two new military vehicles stood outside the London Convention Centre Wednesday promoting Best Defence, a national defence association meeting here.

But the armour also signalled what may be about a half-billion dollars worth of future business, GDLS hopes, for the Oxford Street manufacturer.

“These vehicles offer Canada a highly capable and highly mobile protected platform,” said the company’s Doug Wilson Hodge. “It gives them the capability they need.”

Two differing versions of the armoured combat support vehicle were unveiled by GDLS, which hopes to sell to the Canadian Armed Forces in about two years as part of an LAV6 upgrade, a contract that could be for more than 200 vehicles, said Wilson-Hodge.

While no dollar figure for the potential deal was available, a February contract for 141 upgraded light armoured vehicles for Canada’s military totalled $404 million for GDLS.

The two vehicles are an ambulance, and a maintenance and recovery vehicle, the need for which has been outlined as “priorities” in the Canadian military’s defence acquisition guide.

There is no request for proposals yet, but GDLS wants to be ready, said Wilson-Hodge.

“We look forward to an armoured vehicle combat support program in a few years, we understand what the requirements are for the Armed Forces,” said Wilson-Hodge.

The new vehicles would replace the Canadian Army’s M-113, a tracked vehicle, and the Bison.

“We have the solution. It gives Canada the opportunity to have protection and mobility with this program,” said Wilson-Hodge.

As for the conference, which continues Thursday, it featured government, military and business people speaking about doing business in the defence sector, and selling into the U.S. during the protectionist era of President Donald Trump.

The good news is that there is opportunity, said Christyn Cianfarani, president of the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries.

Canadian technology and relationships have been part of the American defence supply chain since the Second World War, and that is continuing, she said.

“It means Canadian companies from a defence perspective are considered part of the American defence industrial base,” said Cianfarani, whose private-sector business association represents 880 firms operating in the defence sector in Canada.

The military sector is not covered under the North American Free Trade Agreement or the World Trade Organization as they are areas of national security, she added.

“If Canadian industries are innovative and highly sought after, the U.S. will procure (their products) as a means of supporting their national security objectives,” she added.

“We are seeing signs it may yet be tight but there are tremendous opportunities. We have a long-standing relationship with the United States, and we fight in coalition with them.”

Halide Labs’ marketing manager Gord Evans hopes to get such an opportunity. The Glencoe-based firm was at the event promoting its high-tech hologram sights for .50-calibre machine guns.

“We have a scope we are looking to sell and we want exposure in the marketplace,” said Evans.

His five-person business, is working for a break in the global market, especially with gun makers.

“This is all in one, it is the biggest gunsight on the market, others cannot make it like we can. A hologram brings the (target) closer,” and the image sharper, he said.

There are about 45 industries in London in the defence sector supply chain.

The conference drew about 300 participants from across Canada and as far afield as Europe, said organizer Heather Pilot, president of the Southern Ontario Defence Association, and president of Pilot Hill, a private defence consultant.

“It (defence) is a critical sector to London and Southwestern Ontario,” Pilot said.

ndebono@postmedia.com