For immediate release
Gatineau, Quebec, May 15, 2012 – The Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women, today announced that the Government of Canada has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to acquire bullet-resistant plates to be worn by Canadian Forces members as part of their personal protective equipment.
“Our Government is committed to providing our men and women in uniform the best possible equipment they need to do their jobs at home and abroad,” said Minister Ambrose. “With this RFP, we are undertaking a procurement that provides the best value for Canadian taxpayers while upholding our fundamental tenets of fairness, openness and transparency.”
“Once again, we are demonstrating our commitment to supplying all deployed soldiers with new modern equipment that allows them to return home safely and successfully from their critical missions,” said the Honourable Julian Fantino, Associate Minister of National Defence.
The bullet resistant plates will be inserted into Canadian Forces members’ fragmentation vests to protect members from small arms fire. The requirement is for 5,000 bullet-resistant plate kits, 6,000 bullet-resistant plates and additional training kits. The Government of Canada will benefit from recent improvements to the plates that provide greater protective capacity and weigh less than those currently used by the Canadian Forces.
The RFP, released by Public Works and Government Services Canada on behalf of the Department of National Defence, appears on the Government Electronic Tendering System known as MERX (www.merx.com).
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