Tested at Fort Bragg, new military troop vehicle in production in North Carolina

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — An evolved version of the iconic U.S. military’s Jeep was tested in North Carolina at Fort Bragg and is now in production in North Carolina near Charlotte.

The 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg helped test and provide feedback as the vehicle was developed.

The item has a name that’s much longer than “Jeep” — the Infantry Squad Vehicle, which has now been in the field for a couple of years.

It’s designed to quickly move up to nine soldiers and their gear over rough terrain — but not as a fighting vehicle because it has no armor, like a Jeep.

The U.S. Army says the ISV, officially the M1301, is transported easily by helicopters or other aircraft during air assault and airborne assault missions.

The first unit equipped with the ISV was the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg.

The ISV is made from the road-legal Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 midsize truck but has a doorless design, steel and aluminum body panels, and a rollover bar.

Initially, the U.S. Army awarded $214 million for just under 650 vehicles to GM Defense/Ricardo Defense in June 2020.

One key aspect of the vehicle is that 90 percent of the parts are commercial off-the-shelf items, which experts say cuts down on costs, stocking spare parts and time needed to fabricate parts.

The overall Amy requirement is for 2,593 ISVs, which are built in Mooresville by Hendrick Motorsports and then delivered to the military from a GM center about 20 miles away in Cabarrus County. The GM center, located in Concord, is a 75,000-square-foot facility that was built just for ISV production.

Of the total contract, 649 are planned for delivery by this year to 11 infantry brigade combat teams.

So far, foreign governments have shown an interest in the ISV, with Canada planning to buy 90 and possibly another 240, according to GM.

While the ISV is not armored, troops said its 5,000-pound light weight, low profile and speed are assets.

“When expecting an ambush, we used speed to blow through and return fire,” Pfc. Caden Wilhelm told military officials about testing at Fort Bragg.

The 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions used the ISV to help Hurricane Helene victims in western North Carolina last year.