Ford And GM Are Competing To Develop The Next Tactical Truck For The Army.

The U.S. Army has selected Ford to compete for a contract to build the heavy-duty Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV-H). If successful, this could be Ford’s largest defense contract since the Cold War, with the Army seeking 600 units.

Ford has been awarded a contract to develop three prototype vehicles based on its F-Series Super Duty pickup trucks, as announced by the company on July 27 and initially reported by The Wall Street Journal. While the automaker has not disclosed the potential value of the contract, this development marks a significant step in its competition for a major U.S. Army defense agreement.

“We’re excited to start work on this Army contract to deliver capable vehicle prototypes,” said spokesperson Dave Tovar. “Our Built Ford Tough Super Duty trucks are engineered for extreme durability, making them an ideal military platform.”

Tovar added that Ford Pro offers the technologies and rugged capabilities to provide the military with global support, meeting government needs in a cost-effective way, just as it does for commercial customers.

The U.S. Army expects delivery of the ISV-H prototypes by March 30, 2027. This six-person tactical vehicle must navigate rough terrain and provide 60 kW of high-voltage DC, 15 kW of 28V DC, and 4.8 kW of 120V AC power to support drones and field command systems.

Ford, GM, and BC Customs are competing for the U.S. Army’s heavy-duty Infantry Squad Vehicle contract. Prototypes will undergo rigorous testing to determine a winner. Additionally, GM is pursuing a separate $1 billion contract for 10,000 light-duty vehicles based on the Chevrolet Colorado.

The heavy-duty squad vehicle contract is separate from other agreements. GM’s prototypes are based on the Chevrolet Silverado HD with a diesel-electric hybrid powertrain, as reported by The Detroit News. GM describes the vehicles as rugged, spacious mobile energy sources capable of silent operation to reduce thermal and acoustic signatures. The Pentagon is currently leveraging U.S. automotive manufacturing expertise to replenish military equipment following recent global conflicts.

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