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U.S. Army Selects GM, General Dynamics to Supply New Armored Vehicles

17 November 2000

U.S. Army Selects General Motors, General Dynamics to Supply New Armored Vehicles

    STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich., Nov. 16 The U.S. Army announced
today that it has selected the GM GDLS Defense Group, a joint venture between
General Motors and General Dynamics Land Systems, to equip its new Brigade
Combat Teams with the General Motors LAV III eight-wheeled armored vehicle.
    The Army requirements based contract is to equip up to six Brigade Combat
Teams, 2,131 vehicles, starting next year.  The initial delivery orders will
be for $61.7 million in Research, Development, Test and Evaluation and a
second order for 366 production vehicles.  The potential value of the total
contract approaches $4 billion through 2008.
    The LAV III is a full-time four-wheel drive, selective eight-wheel drive,
armored vehicle weighing approximately 19 tons.  It can attain speeds of
62 mph on highway and has a maximum range of 312 miles.  The basic infantry
carrier vehicle (ICV) has armor that protects the two-man crew and
nine on-board soldiers from machine gun bullets, mortar and artillery
fragments.  The LAV III ICV variant includes configurations such as the
reconnaissance, anti-tank guided missile, and medical evacuation vehicles, as
well as carriers for mortars, engineer squads, command groups, reconnaissance
and fire support teams.  The Mobile Gun System variant consists of a General
Dynamics Land Systems 105mm cannon mounted in a low profile turret integrated
on the General Motors LAV III chassis.
    General Motors and General Dynamics will share fabrication and final
assembly of the vehicles among plants at Anniston, Alabama; Lima, Ohio; and
London, Ontario.