Everyone knows that military contracts can be extremely profitable for the corporations involved, though an added benefit comes in the form of bragging rights for companies that can say they've provided goods and services that help save the lives of soldiers on the front line. Case in point is the latest round of testing by the Army on a potential new troop transport vehicle known as an Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV).
In 2019, the Army chose six potential candidates for the contract, two each from GM Defense, a partnership between Oshkosh Defense and Flyer Defense, and an SAIC-Polaris partnership. The rigs in question had to be able to haul nine soldiers while keeping curb weight below 5,000 to successfully enable sling-based loading from a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter and to fit inside a CH-47 Chinook helicopter.
GM In The Mix
One of GM Defense's concept builds for the ISV can be seen above. The external framing and rugged utilitarianism might seem a far cry from typical General Motors trucks and SUVs, but the concept's platform is actually based entirely on the Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck in ZR2 trim. Mark Dickens, chief engineer at GM Defense, said, "The chassis — which is the frame, the suspension, driveline, engine, transmission, transfer case, axles, brakes — all of that hardware is directly from the Colorado ZR2, with the addition of some of our performance parts for off-road use." He added, "Anything on this chassis … somebody could walk into a Chevy dealership and purchase those parts."
Competition Is Fierce
Another entrant in the competition seen above comes by way of a partnership between Oshkosh Defense and Flyer Defense. It's based largely on the Ground Mobility Vehicle 1.1, which is already in use by Special Operations Command. The new truck shares 95 percent of parts with its predecessor, making it a solid candidate thanks to ease of parts sourcing and mechanic training. Meanwhile, Polaris and SAIC's product can be seen at the top of this page looking lean and ready for combat. No word on whether GM's new electric Hummer could fit into the mix, though.
Source: National Defense Magazine