The US Army’s once-troubled Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) program is moving into the next stage of development.
The service’s Program Executive Officer for combat support has finally greenlighted the full-rate production of the air-droppable vehicles.
The milestone decision was made after a year-long delay due to a wide range of issues, including last year’s assessment that the ISVs were “not operationally effective” because of “poor” developmental test reliability and other deficiencies in safety, maintenance, and human system integration.
Rigorous Testing
However, the vehicles have now been rigorously tested to determine if the reported deficiencies have been corrected.
The trials included production qualification testing and transportability certification, which further assessed the ISVs’ low-velocity air drops and helicopter sling loading capabilities.
“Developmental and operational testing enable units to train while offering feedback to the requirements and acquisition communities,” the service explained. “This is aimed at improving a system’s utility and operational effectiveness in soldier’s hands, as well as suitability for the environments in which soldiers train and fight.”
Features
Developed by GM Defense, the ISV is a much-hyped military vehicle based on the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 architecture.
It has a 3,200-pound payload capacity and features exceptional mobility over a wide variety of terrain.
The vehicle can accommodate up to nine soldiers to support military units on long-range operations.
Additionally, the lightweight tactical ISV can be carried by UH-60 and CH-47 helicopters, as well as by C-130 and C-17 transport aircraft.