In 2004 the Regiment deployed as part of Operation ATHENA which resulted in a expanded commitment by the Regiment. Soldiers from the Lord Strathcona’s Horse deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan with the Reconnaissance Squadron of the 3 PPCLI Battle Group as part of the US Task Force Rakkisan on Operation APOLLO between January and July 2002.

Afghanistan MissionĪfter the Septemterrorist attacks against the The United States, a US-led mission to Afghanistan was formed to remove the Taliban government. This Taurus ARV is dedicated to the memory of Corporal Nathan Hornburg, originally from Calgary, Alberta, who was killed in Afghanistan on September 24, 2007. It is also lightly armed with two 7.62mm medium machine guns and a 76mm multi-barrel grenade dispenser. The winch it carries has a 35,000 kg pull, up to 100,000 kg at 3:1 mechanical advantage. The Taurus has a crew of 3-4 and weighs around 40,000 kg.

The Taurus ARV can carry a Leopard tanks engine so it can be replaced in the field, and can also operate as a bulldozer and refuel other vehicles. The Taurus ARV is capable of changing components such as engines and transmissions and can lift up an entire Leopard C2 turret, including the 105-mm gun. It was previously deployed in Afghanistan where it was used in support of operations with the Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians), B Squadron, who deployed there in Oct 2006 with a squadron of Leopard C2 tanks. The Taurus ARV was acquired by The Military Museums in November 2016.

Calgary military museum tanks