GM Is Getting Nearly $1 Billion In Taxpayer Money To Make Some Slight Changes To Its Infantry Squad Vehicle - Jalopnik

GM Defense

General Motors has been all-in on the war business of late, and business is good. Just a few days ago, we told you that GM was going to help build parts for Lockheed Martin's Patriot missiles at the behest of the White House. Now, it's expanding the scope of its Infantry Squad Vehicle contract — adding a cool $697.7 million modification to a deal that was already worth nearly $220 million. It brings the grand total of the deal to $915,597,166. That's money that you and I are on the hook for, of course.

The massive modification to GM's contract is apparently due to some engineering changes it decided to make to the ISV-Utility and its accompanying winch kits, according to the Detroit Free Press. I'm sure you're thinking these changes must be quite substantial if they cost all this money. Well, not quite. The engineering changes in the updated contract include a new windshield, heater and defroster as well as some options for a full crew enclosure kit. Yep. That's why we're on the hook for a billion dollars.

A spokesperson for GM Defense says that the Utility variant is specifically built to support logistics requirements for the U.S. military. It also has other fun and chill "mission packages" like command and control, fire support, electronic warfare and counter-drone. GM is also working on future packages. Meanwhile, the Cadillac Escalade's rear windows don't have an auto-up feature.

GM Defensive

GM Defense

During The General's second quarter earnings call on July 1, CEO Mary Barra made mention of this billion-dollar contract with the military. We reported on it at the time, saying the automaker expects to build 10,000 Chevy Colorado-based Infantry Squad Vehicles for the government. Of course, the final details of that contract are just now getting released to the public. President Trump's Department of War (everyone is 12 now) said the work locations and funding will be determined "with each order," and all 10,000 trucks are expected to be delivered by the end of June 2028, according to Freep.

Keep in mind, this massive deal is separate from the expected military contract GM Defense signed with Lockheed Martin to produce Patriot missile components in a bid to lift the U.S.'s dwindling munitions supplies. Stockpiles have been heavily depleted by the U.S.'s various engagements in Ukraine, Venezuela and its war with Iran. As we reported, GM is expected to deliver missile-housing components to Lockheed, and right now, there's no word on how large the order is or what sort of work could be done between the two companies in the future.

As I said previously, the halls of GM's new headquarters are probably starting to look a hell of a lot like "Starship Troopers."