WASHINGTON, D.C. — GM Defense LLC, a subsidiary of General Motors (GM), announced its Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) completed the 2023 UAE Armed Forces Summer Trials hosted by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) General Maintenance Corps. Held over several days, Summer Trials evaluates whether vehicles can meet the technical and tactical needs of UAE Armed Forces and other regional countries. The UAE continues its evaluation post-vehicle exercise to officially recognize completion status. The ISV received certification of completion stating the vehicle successfully passed Summer Trials following both phases of evaluation.
GM Defense’s ISV completed all phases of the Summer Trials, which included traveling nearly 2,000 kilometers across highways, sand dunes, soft sand tracks and rocky walls. The phases, which include continuous driving with maximum payload capacities, are designed to test vehicle capability in rugged combat conditions, including extreme climate and diverse terrain. In addition to the mobility trials, the ISV completed the Maintenance Trial, which included two days of field repairs testing, and maintenance and recovery evaluation to help potential customers assess ease of repairs and sustainability.
“This was GM Defense’s first time sending a vehicle to UAE Summer Trials, and our successful completion is a testament to the strength of our ISV and to the expertise and dedication of our team,” said Steve duMont, GM Defense president. “Through completion of all phases, we’ve demonstrated that we can successfully leverage the advanced technologies of our parent company, General Motors, to deliver a highly capable off-road vehicle that can meet the needs of defense and government customers in the UAE and throughout the region. Our Summer Trial achievements are a key step forward in our planned growth in the region as we seek to offer the ISV and its variants to this important customer base.”
“Our completion of Summer Trials is a tremendous accomplishment for the ISV program and will give defense and government customers in the region great confidence in the capabilities GM Defense can deliver to meet mission requirements,” said Bradley Watters, vice president of International Business Development. “I was on the ground with other ISV team members, supporting the vehicle as it traveled in deep soft sand, hard-packed surfaces and over rocks, successfully completing eight consecutive days of testing in extreme heat (132 degrees Fahrenheit/56 degrees Celsius). Completing all phases of the mobility and maintenance trial will help open the doors to new growth in the Emirates.”
The completion of UAE Summer Trials follows GM Defense’s announcement of a signed cooperative agreement with Tawazun Council at the International Defence Exhibition and Conference in February 2023. The agreement facilitates business with the shared objective of delivering efficient and advanced solutions to military, security and government customers from the UAE and across the region in key technology areas of integrated vehicles; power and propulsion — including fuel cell and power generation; and autonomy and connectivity. For the latest GM Defense news, please visit www.GMDefenseLLC.com and follow GM Defense on LinkedIn.
I’m new to this vehicle. Diesel or petrol can it use e85 and veggie oil or biodiesel? Why can’t the government see a vehicle for something like parts are everywhere and you don’t need to fly in people or parts to fix them. Take the Tacoma/hylux. Parts are everywhere. Upgrades are like AR-15 & the are like legos. They come apart just as easy as a Lego or an AR-15
A hilux holds 4 people with kit on. By time you finish modifying it to do military things you could have bought a flyer 72
I think the better question is why didn’t Toyota compete for the ISV? Why didn’t we see a U.S. made Toyota variant of this?
It is a Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 with the 2.8L duramax diesel. Toyota didn’t put an entry into the ISV competition.
The Army also will always fly bring a logistic trail with it. Mechanically it is a midsize pick-up truck with a new body on the frame.