GM Defense adds Ricardo Defense to Infantry Squad Vehicle team

GM Defense announced yesterday it has teamed with Ricardo Defense on the Infantry Squad Vehicle for the Army.

The ISV is intended for use by a nine-soldier infantry squad moving within "the close battle area" and is expected to be lightweight and air-transportable.

The Army in June awarded GM Defense a $1 million contract to develop two ISV prototypes for testing and evaluation. A production and deployment contract award is expected later this year, according to GM's press release.

"Ricardo Defense will assist GM Defense with integrated product support, typically consisting of vehicle technical manuals and training materials for operators and maintenance personnel," the company said.

Also competing for the ISV are Oshkosh Defense with Flyer and Science Applications International Corp. with Polaris.

The three teams were due to deliver their prototypes to Aberdeen Test Center in Maryland on Nov. 13 for evaluations running through December, according to an Army release. The service said a second round of testing at Ft. Bragg, NC, would focus more on operational use.