AUSA 2021: GM Defense showcasing upgunned ISV concept

GM Defense, the manufacturer for the US Army's new Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV), is unveiling an upgunned version of the truck that will only carry five passengers instead of the nine people in its standard configuration, as well as an all-electric military concept vehicle outfitted with a remote weapon station.

Steve duMont, the company's president, spoke with Janes on 8 October about different ISV concepts the company is showcasing at this year's annual Association of the US Army (AUSA) conference.

As of early October, GM Defense has produced 70 ISVs for the service and is currently manufacturing them at a rate of eight per month. This new air-droppable vehicle, which can ferry nine soldiers and their equipment around on the battlefield, is based on the 2020 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 midsize truck architecture and leverages commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) parts such as suspension components.

During the process of building the vehicles and testing them out, the company gathered feedback from special operations forces and other US services about potential features and ISV configurations troops might be interested in, according to duMont.

One of the concepts born out of this process is the ISV Heavy Gun Carrier that carries five-passengers, features a 50-calibre weapon on top, and a squad automatic weapon mounted to a door.

“It will be a vehicle that can be used to provide armed escort for the unarmed ISVs, or it can be used for special operations forces who want to have a light, agile vehicle,” duMont explained.