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A tender to replace the Lee-Enfields was issued ... in 2011

So it’s not outrageous that the Lee-Enfield rifle remained in service with the Rangers long after it was retired in all other Canadian units. The gun was an acceptable solution to a unique situation. In recent years, however, it’s become clear that it’s time to replace the guns. Spare parts are increasingly hard to find. Their .303-calibre ammunition has been phased out of military use in favour of ammunition used by all the NATO allies (standard alliance-wide ammunition simplifies production and logistics in time of war). It was time for a new rifle.

So a tender to replace the Lee-Enfields was issued … in 2011. And then re-issued in 2014, after the first attempt to replace the rifles failed. In 2015, the government was actually able to successfully review the available options and settled on a Finnish rifle design, to be manufactured domestically by Colt Canada. The contract was signed, and the first rifles began arriving last month. They start going to Ranger units this spring, with the delivery of the rifles expected to be completed by next year.

By Canadian military procurement standards, this is virtually miraculous. It would be nice if a modern military buying new rifles wasn’t actually something to celebrate. But Canadians have to take their procurement victories where they can find them. This will have to do.