Canada Seeks Stealthy Snowmobile, For No Good Reason

[Feuer Frei!]

The Canadian government wants a stealth snowmobile. Just, apparently, because. It’s not as if Canada has any alpine enemies to sneak up on with shadowy, frigid cavalry. But that’s not going to stop the Canadian Department of National Defence from spending a half million dollars on a prototype.
The secret to the intended stealth capabilities of the snowmobile: a hybrid engine and a quieter electric motor. According to a solicitation from the department, the vehicle has to be able to travel 15 kilometers in its electric mode at an average speed of 20 kilometers per hour. Alas, hybrid snowmobiles aren’t commercially available yet, but the department wants a prototype model by March 31.

Why Canada needs a stealth snowmobile is a question best not asked. The solicitation laments that current snowmobile engines are too loud for “missions where covertness may be required,” but doesn’t bother to list any.


SOURCE

[kraznyi_oktjabr]

From article's comment section:

This article creates a strawman only to crush it later.

Firstly, the projected image of military conflict is laughable. Canadian military on snowmobiles fighting in the Arctic only to experience the whole things melt by the time might Stealth Snowmobile Calvary (thanks God bears are reserved for Russians!) forms a formidable force is a pure Yankee fiction. It has nothing to do with the reality.

Secondly, let's do a small reality check. Well, what does snowmobile do? Uhm, lemme guess... Goes on snow! Right, that's what it supposed to be doing! And when does snow occur? Uhm, let me think... Arctic, Rockies and.. Yeah, right, I totally nearly forgot! Winter! I clearly remember that there was snow last winter! And loads of it! And I'm not even in Winnipeg, I'm in Toronto! Gee, me smart - guess I'll go pour me a cold one as a reward.

So, what does the Army do? Well, it does a lot of things. It's still in Afghanistan, which is smart. It's not in Iraq, which is also smart. And it somehow manages to do a lot of things in Libya, which is something I'm proud of. But guess where else it is? Yeah, here in the country. It clearly does a lot of things like border patrol. Well, let's try to see who our neighbours are? Hmm, Denmark - that would be one, but we do that with ships and planes. Russia - that would be two, but we also do it with ship in planes. St. Pierre and Miquelon - but I'm not even sure if we do that... Hmmm, sothing is missing! Right! I definitely remember now that we share a border with USA, and clearly a lot of it! I also definitely remember that it is being patrolled on US side by all the departments and that there are promises of increased border security. So, we must be doing it somehow as well.

Let us check the facts:

1. There is snow in Manitoba
2. There is border patrol in Manitoba
3. Snowmobiles go on snow

Right, yeah, I get it now! Maybe, we can use snowmobiles to do border patrol!


Thirdly, actually, the picture on US/Canada border is far from perfect. Yes, it is patrolled, but is it realistic to expect that the border between a state with population of 700k and a province with the population of 1 million, most of them - urban, is waterproof? In particular, considering the fact that east of Winnipeg it's mostly really rocks and trees and water? And, don't get me wrong, but there's quite a number of people interested in moving some stuff between the two without being looked at, most notably - cigarettes, alcohol and drugs. These guys don't normally have any radar equipment, but they typically can hear a snowmobile coming (these machines aren't exactly whispering), so making a "stealth" (low-noise) snowmobile actually makes a lot of sense.

Finally, it has to be remembered that BRP is one of the relatively few companies that still make snowmobile, and, on top of my head, one of the only companies that has military, border and snow in numbers sufficient to justify an all-military stealth model. However, it can be exported to NATO allies, as Finland, Sweden and Norway might use them, and - potentially - to some other countries, like, say, Russia and Mongolia. If there is an ability to match a niche demand with niche supply, why not do it?

In short - this article stinks of US dismissal of Canadian military and Canadian technology in general. I'm pissed. I don't have to explain to paid journalists that Arctic is not the only place on planet where there is snow.

[Feuer Frei!]

Well, in all fairness, he seems like a clever boy doesn't he (sarcasm off)?
Firstly, what the heck is he going on about and secondly, US Dismissal of Canadian Military? Oh please, this guy is a bit of a beep beep beep.
Talking about the arctic not the only place to have snow? Err what?
Where did that come from? No wonder I don't read comments sections in news articles.
From a purelu neutral outside point of view I don't find anything dismissive of the Canadian Military. The article mentioned some things in a jocular way but dismissive?
Anyhoo....

[kraznyi_oktjabr]

Originally Posted by Feuer Frei!

Well, in all fairness, he seems like a clever boy doesn't he (sarcasm off)?
Firstly, what the heck is he going on about and secondly, US Dismissal of Canadian Military? Oh please, this guy is a bit of a beep beep beep.
Talking about the arctic not the only place to have snow? Err what?
Where did that come from? No wonder I don't read comments sections in news articles.
From a purelu neutral outside point of view I don't find anything dismissive of the Canadian Military. The article mentioned some things in a jocular way but dismissive?
Anyhoo....

I don't agree nor disagree with this man. I know many don't read comments section so I wanted to post it here to see what others think about his comment.

[Jimbuna]

Finally, it has to be remembered that BRP is one of the relatively few companies that still make snowmobile, and, on top of my head, one of the only companies that has military, border and snow in numbers sufficient to justify an all-military stealth model. However, it can be exported to NATO allies, as Finland, Sweden and Norway might use them, and - potentially - to some other countries, like, say, Russia and Mongolia. If there is an ability to match a niche demand with niche supply, why not do it?

This piece certainly makes sense to me.

[Platapus]

Why would Canada need this?

Drug trafficking. Or more appropriately, anti-drug trafficking.

It is big business and a big problem.

a historian interviewed by the Canadian Press declared himself ***8220;at a loss to know***8221; why Canada needed silent alpine cruisers.

And exactly why would anyone ask a historian about this?

You don't think this journalist would just cherry pick a source to find one that agrees with the journalist's opinion, do you? That would be wrong.

[NeonSamurai]

Originally Posted by Platapus

Why would Canada need this?

Drug trafficking. Or more appropriately, anti-drug trafficking.

It is big business and a big problem.

Also gun running northward, illegal immigrants, plus the usual terrorism concerns. I think generally speaking that comment reposted in post 2 gets it dead on.

[gimpy117]

they just want to spend loads of money on silly military projects, like their neighbors to the south

[Task Force]

Hmm... wouldn't a snow mobile be abit... loud for stealth.

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by Task Force

Hmm... wouldn't a snow mobile be abit... loud for stealth.

What accounts for the most noise of a snowmobile?

[Task Force]

Originally Posted by Platapus

What accounts for the most noise of a snowmobile?

the thing that goes BROOOMMMM BRRRRROOOMMMM!!!!

[kraznyi_oktjabr]

Originally Posted by Task Force

the thing that goes BROOOMMMM BRRRRROOOMMMM!!!!

With all due respect but please read post #1 again...

[Task Force]

Originally Posted by kraznyi_oktjabr

With all due respect but please read post #1 again...

Oah... well horses are quieter!

then they can call themselves the Canadian stealth horse Calvary.

[kraznyi_oktjabr]

Originally Posted by Task Force

Oah... well horses are quieter!

then they can call themselves the Canadian stealth horse Calvary.

I was thinking words "electric", "motor" and "hybrid" but... well...

Never mind.

[Anthony W.]

If they want quieter snowmobiles they could save a lot of money by just developing new mufflers...