Infantry Squad Vehicle goes through off-road tests in the UAE

The United Arab Emirates Armed Forces conducted off-road tests to determine if the Infantry Squad Vehicle meets their technical and tactical needs, GM Defense announced Wednesday.

"GM Defense's ISV completed phases of the Summer Trials, which included traveling nearly 2,000 kilometers across highways, sand dunes, soft sand tracks and rocky walls,” according to a company press release.

Called the 2023 UAE Armed Forces Summer Trials, the tests included continuous driving with maximum payload capacities and are designed to test vehicle capability in rugged combat conditions, including extreme climate and diverse terrain, the release adds.

The ISV also went through two days of field repairs testing as well as 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,” Steve duMont, GM Defense president, said in the release.

Designed to motorize infantry squads, the ISV is a four-wheeled open vehicle that transports soldiers and their equipment around the battlefield.

The vehicle entered full-rate production in 2023 and the Army intends to procure 143 vehicles in fiscal year 2024, according to service budget documents.

According to the 2021 Director for Operational Test and Evaluation report, the ISV was “not operationally effective for employment in combat and engagement, security cooperation and deterrence missions against a near-peer threat.”

The 2022 and 2023 DOT&E reports concluded the vehicle “demonstrated a significant improvement.”