Tag Archives: GM Defense

GM Defense Takes a Silverado to a Whole New Place

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Creating a tactical vehicle based on something that may be in your driveway. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

One of the things that Ford, Ram and GM are really, really (yes, two reallys) good at is building trucks. Although many people buy pickups for non-work purposes, the engineers at those companies develop their trucks for all manner of demanding contingencies.

So it isn’t entirely surprising that GM Defense has rolled out with a Chevy Silverado 2500HD ZR2 truck that has been upfitted for war-fighting applications.

The “Next Gen” tactical vehicle prototype was introduced this week at the annual meeting and exp of the Association of the U.S. Army in Washington, DC.

You’re not going to pick up 2 x 4s or a load of mulch at Home Depot in this Silverado. (Image: GM Defense)

The truck is primarily powered by a 2.8-liter Duramax turbo-diesel but there is also a 12-module battery pack that power electric motors that are on both axles.

So when the truck goes into “Silent Drive” or “Silent Watch” modes, the electric propulsion system comes into play. So the truck can approach in silence. What’s more, there is sufficient power on board to handle the electrical needs of various sensors and other equipment.

According to Steve duMont, president of GM Defense:

“This rugged and highly capable diesel-powered vehicle offers tactical advantages, such as Silent Operations, exportable power, and increased range with extended mission duration. Our warfighters deserve the latest technology that industry can offer in order to gain and maintain competitive advantage over our adversaries. Our Next Gen mobility solution can be customized and fielded now.”

Presumably, as this is based on a vehicle that is in mass production it would be more economical than one that is purpose-built. But GM is adding the tech necessary to make the truck sufficiently robust to handle fighting missions.

After all, these trucks need to deal with conditions that the standard truck engineers don’t need to think about.

GM Defense Makes Clever Sourcing Decisions

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One of the interesting aspects of the Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV), a nine-soldier all-terrain troop carrier that GM Defense will be providing to the U.S. Army as part of a $214.3-million contract received in June 2020, is that it is based on the 2020 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2.

Rather than engineering something from the ground up, GM decided that it would work to further capacitize the Colorado ZR2—which has outstanding off-road capabilities straight off the showroom floor–for military operations.

GM Defense ISV: based on the 2020 Chevy Colorado, which you can get in your local Chevy dealer. The Colorado ZR2, not the ISV. The U.S. Army is getting that. (Image: GM)

For example, even the most enthusiast off-road driver isn’t likely to have their Colorado sling loaded from a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter or fitted inside a CH-47 Chinook helicopter.

Similarly, when looking for a place to build the ISV—the initial order calls for 649 trucks—rather than going completely greenfield, GM consulted its real estate holdings and identified a building it has in Concord, North Carolina.

Initially the building was to be a tech center, but then COVID-19 hit and GM put the idea on hold.

It has selected the building to house the 75,000-square-foot manufacturing operation to produce ISVs.

Another advantage of this site is that it is close to Hendrick Motorsports—yes, the one you may associate with NASCAR—which is providing the chrome-moly steel exoskeleton of the vehicle frame.

Again, using an existing supplier—albeit a somewhat non-conventional one when it comes to non-racing applications.

What’s more, the ISV makes use of 90% of commercial off-the-shelf parts, such as a 186-horsepower, 2.8L Duramax turbo-diesel engine, and six-speed automatic transmission.

This overall approach is commendable for its development speed, execution and, let’s face it, undoubted savings to the U.S. taxpayers.