Leopard II Main Battle Tank Maintenance Facility opens at 5th Canadian Division Support Base

The Canadian Army announced last week the official opening of The Leopard II Main Battle Tank Maintenance Facility at the 5th Canadian Division Support Base in Gagetown.

“Our Leopard II Tanks are an important part of the Canadian Armed Forces and this new facility will help ensure that the equipment our soldiers use on a daily basis remains safe and effective as they support readiness training at home and operations abroad,” said Minister of National Defence, Harjit Sajjan.

The new facility is a one storey maintenance and storage building totalling an area of 1,740 m². Two of the maintenance bays allows for full turret rotation while the third bay is dedicated to standard maintenance. The facility also features a new 52-tonne crane.

The building is designed to Green Globes standards and the Army improved energy efficiency in the Maintenance Facility through the use of energy-efficient lighting fixtures, lamps and ballasts, lighting controls, energy-efficient heating, high-efficiency boilers and ventilation and air conditioning equipment.

“I am very pleased to officially open this new facility. It will contribute to the success of our mission by enabling the work of our professional maintainers to keep the equipment functioning at its optimum capacity, and to keep the training mission on target,” said Col. Daniel MacIsaac, Commander 5th Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown.

The new building also consists of open and closed office space, a conference room; washrooms; three maintenance bays; a power pack storage room; a supply storage room for engines and major assemblies storage (EMAS); small parts storage; and storage space for petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL).

Aside from the new Maintenance Facility, upgrades were made to the existing building. The concrete slabs in the existing building were upgraded to take on the point loads of the Leopard II on jack stands. Ventilation, mechanical, and electrical services were also upgraded. Construction for both buildings cost $6.7 million.

The CAF maintains that the Leopard II remains a key element in fighting capabilities.

“The main battle tank and its heavily protected direct fire capability continue to be relevant on the modern battlefield. The Leopard II has proven itself as a deterrent to attacks and has allowed Canadian soldiers to safely cross terrain impassable for wheeled vehicles. Tanks can also provide our troops with direct-fire capability to destroy obstacles and can save lives by providing soldiers with a high level of protection,” stated the CAF in a statement released today.