GM Defense hopes influencers will drive its new sci-fi-looking tactical pickup

Some troops will see a throwback to the “technicals” in Iraq and Afghanistan consisting of a civilian pickup truck mounted with a machine gun. Others might think instead of the Chevy Silverado parked in their own driveway back home. 

In any case, there’s much to find irresistible about the prototype hybrid-power tactical pickup truck that vehicle maker GM Defense – a subsidiary of General Motors – debuted at the Association of the United States Army’s (AUSA) annual meeting this month. And engineers hope the concept is so engaging that military transport vehicle buyers will just have to take a second look.

The hulking five-ton next-gen tactical vehicle is based on a Silverado ZR2 heavy-duty, yet, the way it was outfitted at the show made it easy to forget the truck’s civilian origins. Mounted in the flatbed was a Mistral Hero-120 multi-launch anti-armor loitering munition system that transformed the pickup into a tank-killer. A Kongsberg remote weapons system with a .50-caliber machine gun turned the truck cab into a formidable turret, while a top-mounted Flex Force Dronebuster system gave it defensive capabilities against unmanned aerial vehicles. 

Company engineers are well aware of how badass and sci-fi the whole thing looks. GM Defense is inviting influencers, as well as potential customers, to trek out to its proving ground in Milford, MI, to take the truck for a spin, said Paul Beaker, GM Defense’s vice president for engineering, manufacturing, and quality. 

“We’re also willing to transport it around,” Beaker told Sandboxx News. “People really get it once they’re in it.”

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While the truck’s looks are likely to make Soldiers’ and Marines’ hearts skip a beat, the inside of the vehicle has the features that GM Defense really wants to sell the services on. A 15-gallon diesel tank works in concert with a rechargeable vehicle battery that provides a range of up to 300 miles, plus silent watch and silent drive capabilities that make the as giant machine quiet as an electric sedan, company officials said. In silent watch mode, they said, the battery can power vehicle equipment and systems for several days without recharge. 

In place of the rear-view mirrors you’d expect on a Silverado, the truck has side and backup cameras that provide a comprehensive picture of its surroundings from the safety of the cab. A roll cage – similar to those equipping GM Defense’s Infantry Squad Vehicles (ISVs) already in service for the Army – provides a measure of safety in case of the tactical and transport vehicle mishaps that are all too common in the military, Beaker told Sandboxx News.

“There are some platforms out there that are 40 years old … you hear about the rollovers and soldiers getting killed and injured, but there are new technologies that can help prevent that,” said Sonia Taylor, director of communications for GM Defense. She added that the likelihood that young troops had already driven in similar Chevy trucks added another level of protection.

“You’re talking about 18- or 19-year-old Soldiers that are driving these vehicles,” she told Sandboxx News. “And when you are in a tactical situation, as you can imagine, it’s stressful. And the more they’re familiar with the vehicles on the commercial side, they know how it handles; they can rely on the antilock braking,” Taylor added.

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Like many of the Army’s existing transport vehicles, the tactical pickup can be sling-loaded and transported by air via CH-47 Chinook. It will fit inside a C-130 Hercules, though it can’t be internally transported inside a Chinook like the Army’s new ISVs. 

Last year, the Army declared full-rate production for the stripped-down and rugged ISVs, with plans to buy nearly 2,600 of them. The ATV-style vehicles can fit up to nine troops or a 3,200-pound payload and can even be air-dropped onto the battlefield to meet Soldiers at the point of engagement.

The use case remains the outlying question for GM Defense’s pickup prototype, which can be configured to fit up to six passengers and a payload of 4,000 pounds in its bed. Company executives hope the Army will see this as an opportunity to replace legacy troop transport systems thanks to the fuel-saving and hybrid features of GM Defense’s vehicle. It might be a tough sell, however, as the Army has been hard at work updating its family of combat vehicles and has fully committed to the ISV for non-combat-hardened battlefield maneuvers.

“We like to say, ‘why wouldn’t you want soldiers to have the most advanced technologies that are available to them?'” Taylor said. “And this vehicle demonstrates that.”

Feature Image: GM Defense’s tactical truck displayed at AUSA 2024. (Photo courtesy of author)

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