Navistar Defense LLC introduced a new tactical vehicle custom developed for the U.S. Special Operations Command, the Pentagon’s unified agency for U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marines special operations units. The Special Operations Tactical Vehicle (SOTV) was developed in partnership with two other companies, SAIC and Indigen Armor, as an initiative for SOCOM’s Ground Mobility Vehicle (GMV) 1.1 program.
The “modular and overt,” tactical-equivalent vehicle is built on Indigen Armor's Non-Standard Tactical Truck (NSTT) platform. It is light enough to be transported in a M/CH-47 helicopter, armored and ready for combat; capable of achieving maximum off-road speed; and mobile in desert, jungle, mountain, or Arctic terrains. It also incorporates a full “Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) suite,” a Northrop Grumman platform that consolidates communications capabilities for multiple secure platforms, including satellites, radar systems, UAVs, and comprehensive information and support systems.
The SOTV chassis, suspension, powertrain, and armored occupant safety cell were engineered by Navistar to carry large payloads across rough landscapes in 3-man, 5-man, and 7-man configurations. The armor packages are scalable to multiple threat levels, and include various low-profile and overt tactical body styles that allow the vehicle to be modified as needed by the crew.
"Our GMV offering incorporates the expertise of three very strong companies," stated Navistar Defense president Archie Massicotte. "Together we have a sophisticated design ready now that meets transportability and mature platform requirements while providing unprecedented mobility."
Indigen Armor, designs and develops SpecOps mobility products. "As former special operators, we have first-hand knowledge of how critical vehicle mobility and transportability are to SOCOM missions," explained Indigen Armor John Choate, a former Navy SEAL. "This knowledge helped us bring to the table a mature, purpose-built, and tested tactical vehicle platform when developing our team's GMV 1.1 offering."
Navistar Defense said its truck and engine integration capabilities and Indigen Armor's understanding of performance specifications were supplemented by SAIC’s integrated logistics support in addition to a full C4ISR suite. SAIC (Science Applications International Corp.) is a defense contractor that develops scientific, engineering, systems integration, and technical services and solutions.
"We have added to our already-robust GMV offering by incorporating our expertise in integrating C4ISR systems and life-cycle support efficiencies in from the very start," according to Glenn San Giacomo, SAIC senior vice president and business unit general manager. "Coupled with our high-performance supply chain management solutions, our offering results in outstanding logistics response times and the highest level of reliability, while reducing life cycle costs."
