MILFORD, Mich., Oct. 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- GM Defense
LLC, a subsidiary of General Motors, is celebrating the first
delivery of the Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) – a light and agile
all-terrain troop carrier intended to transport a nine-Soldier
infantry squad and their equipment – to the U.S. Army as part of a
$214.3 million contract awarded in
June. GM Defense will manufacture 649 ISVs and will support the
production of up to 2,065 vehicles with additional authorization
over eight years. This is the first major award and delivery for GM
Defense since the subsidiary was reestablished by its parent
company in 2017.
The ISV is based off the award-winning Chevrolet Colorado ZR2
midsize truck architecture and leverages 90 percent proven
commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) parts, including Chevrolet
Performance race components. The 5,000-pound ISV was uniquely
engineered to fulfill military requirements and designed to provide
rapid ground mobility. The expeditionary ISV is light enough to be
sling loaded from a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter and compact enough
to fit inside a CH-47 Chinook helicopter for air transportability.
The COTS parts, combined with the ISV's innovative Rollover
Protection System, will provide agile transportability on the
battlefield to support mission success.
"One hundred and twenty days from contract award to delivery is
a significant milestone, and I am very proud of the team for this
accomplishment," said David
Albritton, president of GM Defense. "We're leveraging
General Motors' engineering prowess and immense manufacturing
capabilities to bring transformative solutions to the military
vehicle market. Our initial success with the ISV shows our
commitment to our customer and highlights our unique right to win
in the military mobility market."
"The value we bring to our Army customer is our willingness to
listen and adapt," said Mark
Dickens, GM Defense chief engineer. "During Soldier testing,
the feedback we received was paramount in delivering a vehicle that
met Soldiers' needs, while maximizing safety and performance and
taking their comfort into consideration. The production ISV we're
delivering today is an evolution from our original prototype
design, and it's certainly a vehicle that is a source of pride for
the team."
GM Defense has a teaming agreement with Ricardo Defense, which
will lead the Integrated Product Support for the ISV, including
technical manual development, new equipment training, provisioning,
total package fielding and field service support.
"The success of the ISV program within 120 days is a true
testament to the hard work and determination of a great partnership
between GM Defense and Ricardo Defense," said Chet Gryczan, president of Ricardo Defense.
"Ricardo Defense is proud to be leading the creation and
integration of critical ISV logistics products to ensure a
successful transition of the ISV to the Army's inventory."
GM Defense is driving the future of military mobility by
leveraging the best-in-class capabilities of General Motors for
unmatched innovation, proven performance and breakthrough
life-cycle economics. The ISV will bring world class
manufacturing efficiencies, ease of maintenance and a
well-established global supply chain to the U.S. Army.
Stay tuned for future updates on www.GMDefenseLLC.com.
GM Defense LLC delivers integrated vehicles, power
& propulsion, and mobility & autonomy solutions to global
defense, security, and government markets. The exceptional
reliability of GM Defense's technologies results from decades
of proven performance and billions of dollars spent in independent
research and development by its parent, General Motors, a world
leader in global design, engineering and manufacturing
capabilities.
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SOURCE General Motors Co.