Two iconic American automakers are vying to send their heavy-duty trucks to the battlefield.
Ford and General Motors are in a three-way race to build the Army’s next tactical vehicle, as the service looks to commercial partners to help it roll out a heavier hybrid-powered version of its lightweight, open-air tactical truck.
Along with off-road vehicle manufacturer BC Customs, the two automakers were awarded contracts to develop prototypes for the Infantry Squad Vehicle Heavy program, The Wall Street Journal first reported Monday.
Each company will provide three ISV-Heavy variants to the service for testing by March 30, 2027. The process will put Chevy and Ford head to head with family-owned BC Customs.
GM already supplies the Army with its infantry squad vehicles. The lightweight trucks, built to rapidly move up to nine soldiers and their equipment across rugged terrain, is a modified Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 that incorporates a high percentage of components that are not military grade, according to congressional documents.
Ford’s prototype will be based on the F-Series Super Duty pickups, the Detroit Free Press reported Monday, citing company executives.
GM Defense, the military product subsidiary of General Motors, will modify the Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD truck for the competition, according to Breaking Defense.
Partnering with private industry and integrating commercial technology into its programs allows the Army to speed up product development and acquisition, the service has said.
In March, the Army solicited proposals for a heavier infantry truck. Documents posted on the federal government’s contracting website said the Army wants a vehicle with soft-soil mobility that can cover 250 miles on three-quarters of a tank of fuel, among other features.
It also wants the vehicle to be equipped with rechargeable power that can provide electricity to expeditionary command posts and other systems.
Jesse Tolleson, a member of the Army’s acquisition office, told lawmakers in June that the ISV-Heavy program was a top priority for the Army, with a target “just north of 600 vehicles.”
The Army hopes the program will fill a “critical capability gap” by providing mobile electrical power, he said.
Army officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the prototype contracts.