GM Defense LLC, which operates under General Motors as a subsidiary, announced that the Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) has been granted a full-rate production decision by the U.S. Army. Back in June 2020, GM Defense secured the initial contract worth $214.3 million to create a nimble and versatile all-terrain troop carrier capable of transporting a nine-member infantry squad along with their gear.

“I’m proud of the GM Defense team for reaching this important milestone in the Infantry Squad Vehicle program and am thankful for the close relationship we maintain with our trusted U.S. Army program office customer,” said Steve duMont, GM Defense president. “Achieving the ISV full-rate production decision strengthens our credibility and amplifies the success of our manufacturing processes. By working in close collaboration with our customer, we have delivered more than 300 vehicles to our U.S. Army customer with many already fielded to the Army’s 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions.”

ISV has mission flexibility

Utilizing 90 percent commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) components, including race components from Chevrolet Performance, the ISV is constructed from the acclaimed Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 midsize truck architecture. Weighing in at 5,000 pounds, this expeditionary vehicle is both lightweight enough to be sling loaded from a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter and compact enough to fit inside a CH-47 Chinook helicopter for air transport. With a significant proportion of COTS parts, the ISV offers government and defense customers a wide range of options to adapt to evolving mission requirements and overcome potential threats.

“Our flexibility during the pursuit of the ISV helped us win the early stages of the contract award and has since played a pivotal role in delivering the best value solution to the U.S. Army,” said Rick Kewley, GM Defense vice president of Product Development and Advanced Engineering. “Not only did customer feedback make the ISV better at an accelerated pace, but it also helped us bring to bear the engineering and manufacturing expertise from our parent company, General Motors, to add new capabilities while fulfilling the Army’s design and performance requirements. We remain confident in our ability to meet higher production quantities in the future.”

GM Defense has showcased the versatility of the ISV by expanding the original nine-person troop carrier into a diverse family of vehicles. These various ISV variants, developed by GM Defense, feature customizable configurations tailored for an array of mission profiles, such as fire support, command and control, electronic warfare, counter-unmanned aircraft systems, reconnaissance and logistics, and casualty evacuation.

The ISV was the first major award for GM Defense since the subsidiary was reestablished by its parent company in 2017. (Press Release)

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