GM Defense to expand into Canada

GM Defense’s Infantry Squad Vehicle is based on off-the-shelf components. (Photo: GM Defense)

GM Defense LLC said it will expand to Canada by leveraging existing relationships of GM Canada along with the advanced technologies and capabilities of parent company General Motors. The company delivers solutions to international military, security and government customers.

Leveraging GM’s $35 billion corporate investment in new technologies, GM Defense said it is well-positioned to support international growth with its defense and government customers. GM has also invested $6 billion since 2009 to update its Canadian factories, including the reopening of Oshawa Assembly and investments to convert CAMI Assembly into what it said was Canada’s first large-scale commercial electric vehicle manufacturing plant.

GM Defense said it is positioned to have the agility to meet Canadian defense requirements with potential made-in-Canada solutions.

“GM’s world-class manufacturing and engineering resources in Canada make this collaboration a natural next step for expanding our global presence,” said Steve duMont, GM Defense president. “We have a seamless partnership with GM Canada that will enable us to deliver highly customized solutions to meet the unique requirements of Canadian defense and government customers. We understand that the Canadian military procurement process requires significant investments in country, and we’re confident that GM’s current and future investments will help us meet our Industrial Technological Benefit obligations in support of our Canadian customers.”

Working as one team alongside GM Canada, Bradley Watters, GM Defense’s new vice president of International Business Development and Pete Johnson, GM Defense’s new vice president of Integrated Vehicles Business Development, will lead military customer engagements on behalf of GM Defense in Canada and across the globe.

General Motors has a long history of providing equipment for the military and government agencies around the world. It founded GM Defense in 2017.

The U.S. Department of State awarded GM Defense a contract to develop and validate next generation Large Support Utility Commercial Vehicles based on the Suburban platform. (Photo: GM Defense)

Last September, the U.S. Department of State awarded the company a contract to develop and validate next generation Large Support Utility Commercial Vehicles (SUV) for future fleet production in support of the Department’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). As part of a contract valued at $36.4 million, GM Defense will create a purpose-built Heavy-Duty (HD) Suburban, building 10 vehicles over the next two years.

By leveraging General Motors’ commercial vehicle architecture for full-size pickup trucks and SUVs, GM Defense said it will use commercial-off-the-shelf parts, including the body, exterior, propulsion, interior and brakes for the purpose-built HD Suburban. The HD Suburban will use a new body-on-frame chassis and suspension, designed to support increased government vehicle performance requirements with a higher payload capacity and greater ground vehicle weight.

A production contract to build a fleet of 200 HD Suburbans per year for nine years is expected to succeed the completion of the development contract in or about May 2023.

Additionally, GM is building an Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV), a light all-terrain troop carrier that is part of a $214.3 million U.S. Army contract award, in its factory in Concord, N.C.

The ISV is based on the 2020 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 mid-size truck architecture and uses 90% commercial-off-the-shelf parts, including Chevrolet Performance race components for tough off-road conditions.