Ford Motor Company has been selected by the U.S. Army to compete to build its next tactical vehicle truck, the heavy-duty infantry squad vehicle (ISV-H). If it wins, it could land one of its biggest defense contracts since the Cold War as the Army seeks to buy 600 tactical vehicles.
Ford was awarded a contract to build three prototype vehicles based on its F-Series Super Duty pickup trucks, the company said on July 27, as first reported by Wall Street Journal. The automaker did not provide further details, such as how much the contract could be worth if it wins.
The F-Series Super Duty-Based Prototypes Must Be Delivered By March 2027
Ford
“We are excited to start work on this Army contract and look forward to delivering several incredibly capable vehicle protypes that demonstrate the value Ford can provide to the Army and soldiers,” spokesperson Dave Tovar said in a statement. “Our Built Ford Tough Super Duty trucks are engineered for extreme durability and for the most challenging use cases making it an ideal platform for military use.”
Tovar added that Ford Pro, the company’s commercial vehicle unit, has the vehicle platforms, technologies and rugged capabilities necessary to provide the military with global service and parts support. He added that Ford’s trucks will meet the government and military needs in a “cost-effective way just as we do with our commercial customers.”
Deliveries of the three prototypes are scheduled to happen by March 30, 2027, according to the U.S. Army. The tender specifications state that the ISV-H is a six-person vehicle that can move soldiers over rough terrain and operate a mobile charger for drones, command-and-control systems and other equipment.
The tactical vehicle must also provide onboard power capabilities, including 60 kW of continuous high-voltage DC power, 15 kW of 28V DC power, and 4.8 kW of 120V AC power for field command posts.
A Three-Way Race Between Ford, GM, and BC Customs
GM Defense
Besides Ford, the U.S. Army said it selected General Motors and Utah-based off-road specialist BC Customs. The three companies compete for one of the largest vehicle defense opportunity in decades, and their prototypes will undergo operational assessments and be subjected to limited developmental testing by the Army to select a winner.
The news comes after GM CEO Mary Barra told analysts during a second-quarter earnings call on July 21 that if Congress appropriates the funds, the company stands to win a $1 billion contract to build 10,000 light-duty military vehicles, called Infantry Squad Vehicles-Utility (ISV-U), off the Chevrolet Colorado frame.
It’s worth noting that the heavy-duty squad vehicle contract is a different one and GM’s ISV-H prototypes are based on the Chevrolet Silverado HD truck equipped with a diesel electric hybrid powertrain, according to The Detroit News.
GM described the vehicle as “rugged, capable, and spacious” as well as “a mobile energy source that can operate in silent mode to minimize acoustic and thermal signatures.”
The Pentagon has been discussing with U.S. automakers to use their manufacturing knowledge for updating and replenishing military equipment following wars in the Middle East and Ukraine.
