GM Defense wins Red Ball Express Award for the Infantry Squad Vehicle
GM Defense, a subsidiary of General Motors, received the 2024 Red Ball Express Award from the National Defense Industrial Association for its Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV), a nine-passenger all-terrain troop carrier. The Red Ball Express Award recognizes achievements that strengthen national security by developing, procuring, or supporting tactical wheeled vehicles or related technologies.
Light and highly mobile, the ISV enables our war fighters to travel with speed and agility. The vehicle’s off-road performance and maneuverability enables quick response to dynamic combat scenarios, providing with distinct tactical advantage.
The Red Ball Express was a World War II truck convoy system that supplied Allied forces moving through Europe following the D-Day invasion in 1944. To expedite shipments of key supplies like fuel, food, and ammunition to the front, trucks marked with red balls travelled a route closed to civilian traffic, while receiving priority on regular roads. The operation ran 24 hours a day, in every weather condition. GM supplied 854,000 trucks to Allies in WWII, including GMC 6×6 trucks that were a part of the Red Ball Express convoy.
“Much like the legendary Red Ball Express transportation unit of World War II, the ISV plays a vital role, transforming military mobility with speed, agility, and reliability,” said Steve duMont, president of GM Defense. “The ISV also recently demonstrated its adaptability to meet a wide range of mission needs when it was deployed with the Army to deliver critical supplies to North Carolina communities impacted by Hurricane Helene. As with the historic Red Ball Express, the ISV provides modern military mobility to support our troops, allowing them to safely accomplish their important mission..”
Featuring 90% commercial-off-the-shelf parts and Chevrolet Performance components that enhance off-road capability, the ISV provides rapid ground mobility for up to nine soldiers and their equipment over complex terrain. Based on the off-road ZR2 variant of the Chevrolet Colorado, the ISV delivers the durability, reliability, safety, and performance expected in a GM vehicle. GM Defense’s commercial-based solutions allow defense customers to leverage GM’s continuous investment in and modernization of commercial vehicles.
GM Defense accepted the award at the NDIA Tactical Wheeled Vehicle conference in Reston, Virginia.
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