Canadian Military Testing Stealth Snowmobile

In what has to be the most Canadian story of the year, the Canadian Press is reporting that the Canadian military has been secretly testing a $620,000 stealth snowmobile.

We first heard about this project two years ago when Canadian Department of Defence posted a public tender for a hybrid-electric snowmobile (you can read about that here). According to the tender, the stealth snowmobile required a range of at least 15 kilometers (about nine miles) at an average speed of 20 km/h (12 mph) when in quiet mode. The tender also stated that the stealth snowmobile must have the ability to switch to silent mode easily and quickly with minimal tools. CrossChasm Technologies from Waterloo, Ont. put together the winning bid and built the prototype.

At first glance, the stealth snowmobile’s $620,000 price tag seems awfully high, but that would hardly pay for the seat in the U.S. government’s $2.4 billion B-2 stealth bomber.

While we find the idea of the Canadian military on a fleet of stealth snowmobiles more than a little funny (and wouldn’t be surprised if it was a target of ridicule on the Daily Show), there is a method to the madness.

The Canadian Press is reporting that the prototype will be used for covert operations in the arctic. Canadian troops have been testing the sled to see how quiet it runs and how the battery performs.

Unfortunately, no photos have been released and no details have been provided on how the prototype performed.

Source: CBC.ca