How does a .50-caliber sound?
On October 11 at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual conference, General Motors Defense revealed the first of what’s expected to be many variants of the U.S. Army’s Infantry Squad Vehicle. Based on the 2020 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2, the ISV which is designed to carry up to 9 soldiers rapidly on and off the battlefield will now be able to accommodate heavy guns.
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More specifically, the ISV will have a .50-caliber gun mounted up top. Additionally, access points on the doors allow squad members to mount automatic weapons for some run-and-gun type moves. For the purpose of the show, it was reported GM Defense mounted up some M240s on the side of the ISV 5 Heavy Gun Carrier to demonstrate its capabilities.
One of the functions of the new variant could be to “ride along with airborne infantry units to provide additional heavy gun protection,” said Steve duMont, GM’s Defense president during an interview with Defense News. He noted interest in a heavy gun carrier has been especially high, saying it could be used special operation forces as well as allied militaries.
According to reports, GM Defense was able to develop the ISV 5 Heavy Gun Carrier in just 3 months’ time. To accommodate the additional weaponry, seating will be limited to 5 soldiers instead of 9. There’s no contract for an upgunned version of the ISV, but GM Defense does have a contract to produce 649 ISVs and support the production of up to 2,065 vehicles over the course of 8 years.
The ISV uses 90 percent of its parts from the commercial Colorado ZR2 and Chevrolet Performance race parts. Unique engineering makes it able to withstand the rigors of battlefield service while still moving the 5,000-lb. vehicle and its occupants rapidly from one point to another. Since it’s not overly heavy, it can be sling loaded from a UH-60 Blackhawk, while it’s also compact enough to fit inside a CH-47 Chinook.
Photos credit: GM
Source: Defense News
