The Washington, D.C.-based GM Defense subsidiary of General Motors Co. in Detroit announced its Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) has completed the 2023 UAE Armed Forces Summer Trials.
Hosted by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) General Maintenance Corps. over several days, Summer Trials evaluate 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.
The vehicle completed all phases of the Summer Trials, which included traveling more than 1,240 miles 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,” says Steve duMont, president of GM Defense. “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.”
Bradley Watters, vice president of international business development for GM Defense, says: “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.
“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 Defense 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 more information, visit gmdefensellc.com.
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