General Motors segment GM Defense has concluded testing of its Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) for the UAE and partner countries.
The tests, held over several days during Abu Dhabi’s annual Armed Forces Summer Trials, validated the system’s tactical capability across rugged conditions with diverse terrain and extreme weather.
The process saw the system maneuver 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) over sand dunes, highways, and challenging tracks while carrying payloads.
Alongside mobility demonstrations, the ISV undertook a maintenance trial that involved a two-day repair sequence as well as additional sustainment and recovery evaluations.
“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,” GM Defense President Steve duMont stated.
“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.”
UAE Defense Partnership
The ISV’s summer trials in the Middle East followed the signing of a cooperative agreement between the North Carolina company and UAE’s military acquisitions arm Tawazun Council in February 2023.
This strategic cooperation served as an “initial step” in delivering future solutions supporting Emirati warfighters while boosting the country’s local defense industrial base.
“Priority opportunities covered by the [memorandum of understanding] include cooperative research and development, regional production and assembly, and post-production support and global logistics focused on the key technology areas of integrated vehicles; power and propulsion – including fuel cell and power generation; and autonomy and connectivity,” GM Defense wrote during the signing.
Infantry Squad Vehicle
The ISV is based on the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 midsize truck and uses around 90 percent commercial-off-the-shelf parts to meet the US Army’s evolving mobility requirements.
The vehicle has the capacity for up to nine personnel and is powered by a 2.9-liter engine with 275 horsepower.
It can be loaded onto UH-60 Blackhawk, CH-47 Chinook, and CH-53 Stallion helicopters or deployed through a low-velocity airdrop onto the battlefield by C-17 Globemaster III, C-130 Hercules, and A400M Atlas cargo aircraft.
The platform can be armed with anti-drone laser energy weapons, M240 machine guns, M2 Browning heavy machine guns, and Mark 19/47 grenade launchers.
