GM Defense Wins Infantry Squad Vehicle Production Contract

WASHINGTON – The Army awarded GM Defense a $ 214.3 million contract to produce the service’s new Infantry Squad Vehicle.

The contract covers the cost of the first 649 vehicles, and the work will be completed by June 24, 2028. The service hopes to eventually obtain 2,065 from the ISVs.

“Winning this Army Award is well-deserved recognition for the hard work and dedication of our GM Defense team and their production of a fantastic vehicle. We are confident that the GMD ISD will meet and exceed all of our customers’ requirements.” David Albritton, president of GM Defense, said in a statement. “In fact, it is an honor to leverage our parent company’s experience as one of the world’s largest automotive manufacturers to design, build, and deliver the best technologies available to men and women in the US Armed Forces. AND Our Allies”.

Designed to carry a squad of nine soldiers, the ISV was specifically created to be light enough to be slung from a UH-60 Blackhawk and small enough to fit inside a Chinook C4-47 to provide maximum flexibility for deployment.

GM’s design is based on the company’s mid-size Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 2020 truck and uses 90 percent commercial parts, according to the company, including a 2.8-liter, 186-horsepower Duramax turbo-diesel engine.

The attempt to acquire a light infantry vehicle dates back to 2015, but nothing really materialized until Congress forced the Army to launch the competition as part of the 2018 fiscal National Defense Authorization Act. Last August, the Army granted $ 1 million contracts to three teams: GM Defense, a team from Oshkosh Defense and Flyer Defense LLC and a team from SAIC and Polaris, to develop their offerings for the ISV program.