Dogs of war will wear vests made by city firm

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This article was published 07/08/2010 (5880 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

When the U.S. military lets loose its dogs of war in Afghanistan or Iraq later this year, they’ll be protected from enemy insurgents by Canadian-made canine body armour.

According to documents filed this week at the American government’s online clearinghouse for federal contracts, the U.S. navy’s special warfare group has purchased a set of "canine tactical vests" — bulletproof gear for enlisted dogs — from a Manitoba company.

The $86,500 sole-source contract with Winnipeg-based K9 Storm Inc., finalized July 30 by the San Diego-based naval unit, calls for the delivery of four waterproof "assault" jackets — coloured in "desert camouflage" or "coyote tan" — to be equipped with "intruder communications systems" so the animals can serve as the eyes and ears of their human handlers while scouting suspected enemy positions.

Specifications for the "integrated canine assault vests" include video cameras and recorders, night-vision devices and signal-transmission strengths capable of penetrating "multiple concrete walls."

The contract with the Canadian firm, issued last week through the U.S. government’s Federal Business Opportunities website, indicates no other companies were invited to bid on the contract because K9 Storm — which also supplied protective vests for security dogs at the Vancouver Olympics — is considered "the only known source for the subject requirement."

K9 Storm Inc. owner Jim Slater — a former Winnipeg police officer who served with the force’s canine unit until starting his business in 1998 — told Postmedia News the "covert" and "security-sensitive" nature of the U.S. navy’s plans for the dog vests prevents him from discussing the project in great detail.

But he said in an interview the company produces bulletproof Kevlar suits with special harnesses that allow dogs to be lowered from helicopters and to move easily in a host of hostile settings, including war zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan.

"I can’t get into details with regard to mission specifics," he said. "But suffice to say, you’re not side-by-side with the dog. The dog is broadcasting in situations where, if it goes around a corner, he’s out of sight from you but you can still see what the dog sees."

 

— Postmedia News