Rocket systems coming to CFB Shilo

The Canadian Armed Forces has chosen CFB Shilo to operate newly procured rocket technology, the Department of National Defence told the Sun on Friday.

The military base east of Brandon will be the primary operation centre of 26 High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) weapons, a six-barrelled rocket launcher mounted on an army truck, Andrée-Anne Poulin, media relations for the DND, said in an email.

The rockets will be “leveraged” by CFB Shilo’s existing 1st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery to start, but will “establish the foundation for the eventual formation of a new unit, the 9th Rocket Regiment, RCA,” Poulin said.

The systems, manufactured by Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, are expected to be delivered in 2029 along with related technology.

“There will be several support platforms and support equipment included with the delivery,” Poulin said. “These include logistics vehicles, command posts, Command & Control systems, training ammunition, and maintenance equipment.”

The HIMARS weapon procurement is part of a fulfilment of Canada’s 2024 Defence Policy, enabling the army to deter threats and maintain a range advantage against adversaries, Poulin said.

The rocket system “was identified as the only solution meeting all of Canada’s operational and technical requirements” to equip Canada with land-based, long-range strike capabilities to overmatch adversaries, she said.

According to the manufacturer, the HIMARS technology enables “shoot-and-scoot” warfare, allowing soldiers to position, fire and relocate in a matter of minutes, “dramatically” reducing adversaries’ ability to locate and target the system, and enhancing survivability in high-threat environments.

The 1RCHA regiment at CFB Shilo currently uses M777 Howitzers, a ground-based artillery weapon that is towed behind army trucks to its desired location before being deployed. The regiment will continue to be equipped with M777 Howitzers after the new rocket unit is formed.

The news of a planned new regiment at CFB Shilo, as well as the new rocket technology, comes after the base recently informed nearby municipalities to prepare for growth. The base was pegged for roughly 180 new homes earlier this year in a development that is expected to cost $84 million. Despite plans for growth, officials at DND were not yet able to say how upcoming changes will impact the number of personnel at the base.

Aside from CFB Shilo, some of the HIMARS weapons will be allocated to other parts of the country for maintenance and training, such as at the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery School or with reserve units, Poulin said.

More information about next steps will be announced “in due course,” the DND said.

Media relations at CFB Shilo was unable to provide an immediate comment on Friday afternoon.

The confirmation of HIMARS weapons headed for Shilo comes after the Pentagon announced in late April that Canada was one of several allied countries that agreed to purchase HIMARS weapons.

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced in March that Canada met its NATO spending goal of two per cent of GDP — a benchmark that the country had not met since the ’80s during the Cold War.

» cmcdowell@brandonsun.com