Soldiers hate walking. Honestly, if you’ve ever humped 100 pounds of gear through the humid brush of Fort Liberty or the thin air of a mountain pass, you know why. The Army’s solution for decades was the Humvee, and then the massive, lumbering MRAPs that kept people alive during the height of the IED era in Iraq. But those trucks are heavy. They’re slow. You can’t exactly shove them inside a helicopter and drop them behind enemy lines without a massive logistical headache.
Enter the Army Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV).
It looks like something out of a Mad Max film or maybe a high-end off-roading excursion in Moab. It’s essentially a stripped-down, beefed-up Chevy Colorado ZR2 chassis that has been poked, prodded, and militarized by GM Defense. It doesn't have doors. It doesn't have a roof. It definitely doesn't have air conditioning. But it can carry nine soldiers and their gear across terrain that would swallow a standard SUV whole. This isn't just another truck; it's a fundamental shift in how the Infantry Brigade Combat Teams (IBCTs) plan to fight in the next decade.
What the Army Infantry Squad Vehicle Actually Is (And Isn't)
When the news first broke that GM Defense won the $214 million contract, people were skeptical. They saw a Chevy. They saw "commercial off-the-shelf" parts. They worried about durability. But the Army Infantry Squad Vehicle isn't trying to be a tank. If you’re taking fire from a .50 cal machine gun in an ISV, you’ve already had a very bad day.
The vehicle is built for "enhanced tactical mobility." Basically, it's a bus for the battlefield that can go 60 miles per hour over rocks and sand. It weighs about 5,000 pounds. That sounds heavy until you realize a standard JLTV (the Humvee replacement) weighs nearly triple that. Because it’s light, it fits inside a CH-47 Chinook helicopter. It can be slung-loaded under a UH-60 Black Hawk. It can even be dropped out of a C-130 Hercules via parachute.
The goal? Get the squad from the drop zone to the objective without them being exhausted before the shooting starts.
The Bones of the Beast
GM Defense didn't reinvent the wheel here. They used the 2020 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 midsize truck as the foundation. About 90% of the parts are commercial off-the-shelf. This includes the 2.8L Duramax turbo-diesel engine and the Multimatic DSSV dampers. Those dampers are the secret sauce. They allow the truck to take massive hits from uneven terrain without bottoming out or shattering the spines of the troops sitting in the back.
Wait. Nine people?
Yes. The seating arrangement is tight. You’ve got two in the front, three in the middle, and then four more jumpers in the back—two facing sideways and two facing rearward. It’s cramped. If you’re a 200-pound paratrooper with a ruck, a weapon, and body armor, you’re going to be rubbing shoulders with your buddies. It’s not a luxury ride. It’s a tool.
Why the Lack of Armor is a Feature, Not a Bug
The biggest criticism of the Army Infantry Squad Vehicle is the total lack of protection. There is no glass. There are no armored plates. If a sniper takes a shot, the door-less frame isn't stopping anything.
General Dynamics and other competitors offered different takes, but the Army chose the GM design because speed is the protection. In the "Great Power Competition" mindset—where we're looking at potential conflicts with sophisticated adversaries—the Army realized that being heavy is a liability. Heavy vehicles require massive fuel convoys. Convoys get targeted by drones. Drones kill tanks.
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By being light and fast, the ISV can move through "restricted" terrain. It goes where the enemy doesn't expect a vehicle to be. You can hide it under a camouflage net in the woods much easier than you can hide a massive Stryker. It’s about the "indirect approach" that military theorists like B.H. Liddell Hart raved about.
- Weight: ~5,000 lbs (empty)
- Payload: 3,200 lbs
- Engine: 186 hp Duramax Turbo-Diesel
- Transportability: Internal to CH-47, external to UH-60, Low Velocity Air Drop (LVAD)
Real-World Performance and the "Soldier Touchpoint"
The Army didn't just buy these off a brochure. They put them through hell at the Aberdeen Proving Ground and with the 82nd Airborne Division. During initial testing, there were some hiccups. Reports from the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) noted that the vehicle had some reliability issues early on—specifically with steering racks and some of the frame components cracking under extreme stress.
The Army listened.
GM Defense beefed up the components. They added a heavy-duty roll cage that doubles as a mounting point for gear. They simplified the electronics. In recent exercises, the ISV has shown it can sustain high speeds over washboard desert roads that would vibrate a standard truck to pieces.
One interesting detail: the vehicle is surprisingly quiet. Compared to the roar of a turbine-powered Abrams or the chugging of a heavy diesel JLTV, the 2.8L Duramax is relatively stealthy. This allows squads to get closer to their "Line of Departure" without announcing their arrival to every acoustic sensor in a five-mile radius.
The Logistic Nightmare (That Isn't)
One of the smartest things about the Army Infantry Squad Vehicle program is the parts commonality. Because it's mostly a Chevy Colorado, the global supply chain already exists. If a squad breaks a tie rod in a remote part of the world, there’s a decent chance there’s a GM-compatible part somewhere nearby.
Maintenance is also simpler. You don't need a specialized master technician with a $50,000 diagnostic suite to figure out why the engine light is on. Most motorpool mechanics can wrap their heads around a Duramax engine in an afternoon. This lowers the "sustainment tail"—the amount of stuff you have to carry behind the army to keep it moving.
Shortcomings You Can't Ignore
It’s not all sunshine and fast drives through the dirt. The ISV has zero integrated weapons systems. While soldiers can fire their individual rifles from the seats, there isn't a turret for a Mk 19 grenade launcher or an M2 Browning .50 cal. Some units have experimented with "swing-arm" mounts for M249 SAWs or M240B machine guns, but it’s a far cry from the firepower of a dedicated scout vehicle.
Then there’s the weather.
Imagine driving through a freezing rainstorm in Eastern Europe or the blistering heat of the Mojave without a windshield. The wind fatigue is real. Soldiers arriving at the fight might be less physically tired from walking, but they'll be mentally drained from the exposure. It’s a trade-off. The Army decided that a tired soldier in a vehicle is better than a soldier who isn't there at all because their truck was too heavy to fly in.
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Future Tech: The ISV is Going Electric?
Interestingly, GM Defense has already showcased an "All-Electric ISV." It uses the same frame but swaps the diesel for a 400V battery system and an electric motor. It’s even quieter. It has a lower thermal signature, making it harder for heat-seeking drones to find. While the Army hasn't fully committed to electric vehicles for the front lines yet—charging batteries in a foxhole is a bit of a challenge—the fact that the ISV is a modular platform means it can evolve.
There are also variants being discussed for electronic warfare, mortar carriers, and even casualty evacuation (CASEVAC). Instead of nine seats, you’d have two litters for wounded soldiers and a medic.
Actionable Insights for the Modern Observer
If you’re following military tech or looking at how the U.S. prepares for future conflicts, the Army Infantry Squad Vehicle tells you three things:
- Speed is the new armor. The era of "up-armoring" everything is hitting a wall of diminishing returns.
- Commercial tech is winning. The Pentagon is moving away from 20-year development cycles for simple gear. If it works for Baja 1000 racers, it’s probably good enough for a light infantry squad.
- Versatility is king. A vehicle that can only do one thing is a liability. A vehicle that can be a bus, an ambulance, or a drone-launching platform—and can fit in a helicopter—is an asset.
For those interested in the technical side, keep an eye on the "sustainment" reports from the 10th Mountain Division and the 82nd Airborne. Their feedback over the next two years will determine if the ISV becomes a legendary staple like the Jeep or a footnote in military history.
The next time you see a Chevy Colorado on the highway, just imagine it with the doors ripped off, a roll cage welded on, and nine very focused paratroopers holding on for dear life. That is the future of light infantry mobility.