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The Liberal government’s defence policy released on Wednesday had much information about new equipment to be purchased over the coming years, as well as details about modernization programs for existing systems.

The Cormorant search and rescue helicopters will be upgraded. So will the Victoria-class submarines. New armoured vehicles and trucks will be acquired. C-130Js will be upgraded with new software and hardware. Even the Griffon helicopters will get a upgrade.

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But one weapon system I didn’t see on the list of top projects, or even mentioned in the defence policy review, was the Leopard 2 tank. There was a photo in the policy paper of a Leopard but no mention of any plans to upgrade the tanks in the future. Tank modernization was not included in the list of the 20 Army equipment programs for the future.

The Defence Acquisition Guide does have a “Tank Life Extension” project on the books. Work on the modernization, which could cost as much as $249 million, was supposed to start in 2022, with bids required sometime after 2026. That would upgrade the tanks to continue operating well into the 2030s and beyond (similar to the plan, which is highlighted in the defence policy review, to keep the Victoria-class subs going into the 2040s by upgrading their on board systems).

But with the Tank Life Extension noticeably absent from the defence policy, will Leopard 2 tanks have much of a role in the future Canadian Forces?