High-tech rockets coming to CFB Shilo

BRANDON — The Canadian Armed Forces has chosen to operate newly procured rocket technology at CFB Shilo.

The Department of National Defence said Friday the military base east of Brandon will be the primary operation centre of 26 High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System weapons, six-barrelled rocket launchers that are mounted on an army truck.

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,” wrote Andrée-Anne Poulin, media relations for the DND, in an email

The systems, manufactured by U.S.-based 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 and control systems, training ammunition, and maintenance equipment.”

The weapon procurement is part of a fulfillment of Canada’s 2024 defence policy that enables 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 over match adversaries, she said.

The manufacturer says the technology enables “shoot-and-scoot” warfare, allowing soldiers to position, fire and relocate in 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.

CFB Shilo brass 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. Officials at DND were not yet able to say how upcoming changes will impact the number of personnel at the base.

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 1980s during the Cold War.

— Brandon Sun