General Motors will be producing the next generation heavy-duty armored SUVs for the Department of Defense, the automaker announced.
The DOD awarded GM Defense LLC, a subsidiary of GM, a 10-year contract to produce the SUVs to support the department's Diplomatic Security Service.
The newly-designed GM Defense HD SUV will incorporate protective armor into the original design and manufacturing process, and the automaker said it will result in faster delivery to the end user.
"This is a very important program for GM Defense as it showcases our ability to leverage the proven commercial platforms and world-class engineering and manufacturing processes of GM to provide a first-of-its-kind vehicle for the Department of State," said Steve duMont, president of GM Defense. "Everyone on our team has committed to partnering with the State Department to ensure we deliver the best vehicles to support their mission. We look forward to continuing this partnership and bringing this exciting new platform to other U.S. government and allied defense and security customers around the world."
According to GM Defense, the new HD SUV uses a high percentage of off-the-shelf commercial parts, including the body, exterior, propulsion, interior and brakes.
It will have a new and unique body-on-frame chassis and suspension that will support the increased vehicle weight and performance requirements.
