Armored Vehicles

LAV Reconnaissance Surveillance System

Also known as
  • LRSS
  • LAV 6.0 LRSS
  • Light Armoured Vehicle Reconnaissance Surveillance System
  • LAV Recce Surveillance System
  • LAV 6.0 RECCE
  • Upgraded Light Armoured Reconnaissance Vehicle

The LAV Reconnaissance Surveillance System was a Canadian project to fit 66 LAV 6.0 chassis as reconnaissance platforms with advanced surveillance systems. Canadian defence reporting later identified the former LRSS vehicles as planned for donation to Ukraine, but this support page leaves direct conflict use to the parent LAV 6.0 catalog record.

LAV Reconnaissance Surveillance System, LAV 6.0 reconnaissance-surveillance vehicle project, Armored Vehicles
Image source: Wikimedia Commons LAV 6 image
Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Canada
Type
LAV 6.0 reconnaissance-surveillance vehicle project
Service note
Canadian LAV 6.0 reconnaissance-surveillance project begun in the 2010s and later identified for de-scoping
Designer
General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada
Designed
2010s LAV III Upgrade follow-on reconnaissance-surveillance project
Produced
Production began in November 2020; first vehicle delivery achieved in August 2023
Number built
66 LAV 6.0 chassis planned for LRSS reconnaissance platforms
Developed from
LAV 6.0

Specifications

Base platform
LAV 6.0 8x8 armored vehicle chassis
Project quantity
66 reconnaissance-surveillance platforms
Mission fit
Advanced surveillance systems for threat detection and identification while moving
Sensor architecture
Surveillance suite and radar on a 10 m telescoping carbon-fibre mast
Remote operation
Tripods with 200 m cable for remote operations
Operator station
High-definition operator control station
Project milestone
Production began in November 2020 and first vehicle delivery was achieved in August 2023
Relationship Scope

This support entry exists to disambiguate the LRSS project from the broader LAV 6.0 family. The public sources used here support project scope, vehicle count, production milestones, and reconnaissance-surveillance intent; they do not by themselves establish battlefield employment of an LRSS vehicle as a separate weapon record.

Vehicle set

Canadian reporting describes 66 LAV 6.0 chassis for the reconnaissance-surveillance project.

Mission system

Supplementary-estimates material describes advanced surveillance systems intended to detect and identify threats while moving.

Variants

Public Canadian documents treat LRSS as a reconnaissance-surveillance branch of the LAV 6.0/LAV III Upgrade fleet rather than a separate combat vehicle family.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
LAV 6.0 LRSSReconnaissance-surveillance configuration

Canadian supplementary-estimates material described the project as 66 LAV 6.0 reconnaissance platforms with advanced surveillance systems and on-the-move detection and identification capability.

Sources: Canada LRSS Supplementary Estimates

Parent Platform

The LRSS project was built around LAV 6.0 chassis and is covered tactically by the public LAV 6.0 catalog entry.

Compatible itemItem typeCompatibility evidence
LAV 6.0, 8x8 infantry fighting vehicle, Armored VehiclesLAV 6.0LAV 6.0 parent vehicle family

Canadian capital-project reporting identifies LRSS as a 66-vehicle LAV 6.0 reconnaissance-surveillance project, and the LAV 6.0 entry carries the sourced Ukraine-aid context for the former LRSS vehicles.

Sources: Canada LRSS Capital Project Report, Canada LRSS Supplementary Estimates

Timeline

LAV Reconnaissance Surveillance System Key Events

  1. LRSS production begins

    Canada's 2026-27 capital-project report says production began in November 2020.

    Sources: Canada LRSS Capital Project Report

  2. First vehicle delivery achieved

    The same Canadian project report records first vehicle delivery in August 2023.

    Sources: Canada LRSS Capital Project Report

  3. Project identified for de-scoping

    Canadian project reporting stated that the project would be de-scoped after a planned donation of former LRSS LAV 6.0 vehicles to Ukraine.

    Sources: Canada LRSS Capital Project Report

Related Weapon Systems
LAV 6.0, 8x8 infantry fighting vehicle, Armored VehiclesArmored VehiclesLAV 6.08x8 infantry fighting vehicleThe LAV 6.0 is Canada's upgraded 8x8 Light Armoured Vehicle family, built by General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada from the LAV III upgrade program. The infantry section carrier keeps a 25 mm M242 turret but adds a 450 hp powerpack, stronger mobility package, add-on armour, and improved protection. Canada describes it as the Canadian Army's primary infantry fighting vehicle, while 2026 government reporting tied 66 former LRSS reconnaissance LAV 6.0 vehicles to planned military aid for Ukraine during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.
LAV 6.0 ACSV, 8x8 armoured combat support vehicle, Armored VehiclesArmored VehiclesLAV 6.0 ACSV8x8 armoured combat support vehicleThe LAV 6.0 ACSV is Canada's turretless 8x8 Armoured Combat Support Vehicle family, built by General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada on the LAV 6.0 chassis to replace older Bison and M113 support vehicles. Canadian procurement records describe eight variants across Type 2, Type 2+, and Type 3 groups: troop/cargo, ambulance, command post, electronic warfare, engineer, fitter/cargo, maintenance and recovery, and mobile repair team vehicles. Canada has transferred ACSV vehicles to Ukraine, where the type is documented as a Canadian-built protected mobility and support platform for Ukrainian forces.
Long Range Advanced Scout Surveillance System, Long-range electro-optical scout surveillance and target-location system, Support EquipmentSupport EquipmentLong Range Advanced Scout Surveillance SystemLong-range electro-optical scout surveillance and target-location systemThe Long Range Advanced Scout Surveillance System, commonly LRAS3, is a U.S. Army scout and observer sensor suite for long-range reconnaissance, surveillance, target detection, identification, geolocation, and target handoff. Army and Raytheon sources describe FLIR, day-camera, GPS, laser-rangefinder, tripod, vehicle, mast, tower, remote-operation, and networked sensor-to-shooter roles, with direct public records for LRAS3 use in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Otokar Cobra, Wheeled infantry mobility vehicle, Armored VehiclesArmored VehiclesOtokar CobraWheeled infantry mobility vehicleThe Otokar Cobra page covers a Turkish 4x4 armored mobility-vehicle family built for protected transport, patrol, reconnaissance, weapon-carrier, medical evacuation, and specialist mission roles. The record distinguishes the lighter original Cobra from the larger Cobra II branch, whose recent official context includes a 1,059-vehicle Romanian ATBTU program, local production at Medias, and more than 20 Cobra II users in 13 countries. The cataloged conflict record spans documented losses or captures in Georgia, Burkina Faso, and northeast Nigeria, Cobra II protected mobility and evacuation use in Ukraine, and a reported Cobra-mounted Turkish laser system in Libya.
INKAS Sentry APC, multipurpose armored personnel carrier, Armored VehiclesArmored VehiclesINKAS Sentry APCmultipurpose armored personnel carrierThe INKAS Sentry APC is a Canadian-built Sentry-family armored personnel carrier for protected mobility, tactical response, rescue, evacuation, command-center, and crowd-control missions. Public sourcing supports the vehicle as a configurable law-enforcement, government, commercial, and institutional platform rather than a directly documented conflict-use system, so the catalog keeps it as relationship-only until conflict-specific evidence appears.

Sources

Canada LAV LRSS ProjectPublisher: National Defence, Government of Canada | Note: Supports LRSS identity, Coyote replacement context, 66 surveillance systems integrated onto the LAV 6.0 platform, GDLS-Canada and Leonardo DRS industry roles, mast, remote tripod, radar, operator station, and 20-year life expectancy. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Canada LRSS 2012 AnnouncementPublisher: Government of Canada | Note: Archived government release supporting the definition-phase contract, 66-vehicle plan, upgraded light armoured reconnaissance vehicle terminology, Coyote replacement context, sensor suite elements, remote tripod capability, silent-watch mode, and GDLS-Canada contractor role. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Canada LRSS Capital Project ReportPublisher: National Defence, Government of Canada | Note: Supports LRSS project scope, 66 LAV 6.0 chassis, November 2020 production start, August 2023 first vehicle delivery, project de-scoping, and planned donation context for former LRSS vehicles. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Canada LRSS Supplementary EstimatesPublisher: National Defence, Government of Canada | Note: Supports the LRSS plan for 66 LAV 6.0 reconnaissance platforms with advanced surveillance systems and on-the-move detection and identification capability. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Wikimedia Commons LAV 6 imagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the LAV 6.0 vehicle image used as the representative platform image. | Accessed: 2026-07-13