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Rheinmetall Canada’s gear is supposed to allow troops to track each other as they move through the battlefield, as well as feed communications and targeting information into their helmets or data devices they could carry.

But the delivery of the equipment for what is called the Integrated Soldier System Project or ISSP won’t be happening at the end of the year as planned.

“Due to issues that have arisen during the qualification process that could have not been foreseen by the contractor, Public Services Procurement Canada has allowed the contractor a period of excusable delay,” DND spokesman Evan Koronewski said in an email. “The issues are related to engineering changes required to replace system components that have become obsolete since the contractor’s proposal. There are also unforeseen integration issues with existing Canadian Army equipment.”

Contrary to what the DND claims, the problems weren’t unforeseen.

Months before the contract was awarded, the DND outlined the hurdles facing ISSP. Obsolescence was one, the DND warned in the May 2015 document obtained by Postmedia.

Integration with existing Canadian Army equipment was another. The DND document warned about “challenges with the integration of in-service sensors used by the soldiers as well as connectivity with vehicle platforms.”

There could also be challenges with the communications link between equipment using classified information and those that operate without that level of secrecy, the DND said.