GM Defense boosts Mideast footprint with Edge military vehicle tie-up

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — GM Defense has signed an agreement with Edge Group to build a local manufacturing capability for some of its light tactical vehicles, which could be integrated with Emirati weapons.

The General Motors subsidiary will work on the project with NIMR Automotive, an arm of the Emirati defense conglomerate, to assess demand for military platforms in the Middle East and Africa region.

“We plan to leverage off NIMR’s local facility for potential future production of the Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) in several variants, including the cargo one, which is garnering significant demand,” Bradley Watters, vice president for international business development at GM Defense, told Defense News.

Upon request, the manufacturer would also be prepared to establish its own production facility in the UAE, which would be a first for the U.S. company.

Two vehicle variants armed with Emirati systems were on display at the IDEX and NAVDEX defense fairs here, the infantry utility version equipped with EDGE-made Q Copter munitions, and the next-generation tactical vehicle configuration with Hunter loitering munitions.

The partnership announced during the show here builds on a previous agreement signed in 2023 with the Tawazun Council, the Abu Dhabi-based government agency in charge of procurement.

The GM-made ISV completed summer trials in the Gulf country in 2023. The evaluation entailed a 2,000-kilometer march across sand dunes, soft sand tracks and rocky fields.

The intention is to have the company’s recently developed Next Generation Tactical Vehicle, or NGTV, undergo the same assessments as part of the 2026 summer trials, company officials said.

As GM Defense continues to expand its footprint in the Middle East, the company is interested in integrating some of its power propulsion and engine systems into existing regional platforms.

One of the key technologies engineers have developed through its hybrid electric vehicles, including the NGTV-H, is the ability to drive silently, a feature advertised by the company as an advantage in combat.

Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo was a Europe correspondent for Defense News. She covers a wide range of topics related to military procurement and international security, and specializes in reporting on the aviation sector. She is based in Milan, Italy.

阿联酋阿布扎比——通用汽车防务公司与Edge集团签署协议，为其部分轻型战术车辆建立本地制造能力，这些车辆可以与阿联酋武器集成。

通用汽车子公司将与阿联酋国​​防集团旗下的 NIMR Automotive 合作开展该项目，以评估中东和非洲地区对军事平台的需求。

通用汽车防务公司国际业务发展副总裁布拉德利·沃特斯告诉《防务新闻》：“我们计划利用NIMR的本地设施，在未来生产多种型号的步兵班组车辆（ISV），包括需求量很大的货运型。”

如有需要，该制造商也准备在阿联酋建立自己的生产设施，这将是这家美国公司首次在阿联酋开展业务。

在阿布扎比国际防务展 (IDEX) 和美国海军防务展 (NAVDEX) 上，展出了两款配备阿联酋系统的车辆型号：一款是配备 EDGE 公司制造的 Q Copter 弹药的步兵通用型，另一款是配备 Hunter 巡飞弹的下一代战术车辆配置。

此次展会上宣布的合作关系建立在 2023 年与阿布扎比政府采购机构 Tawazun Council 签署的先前协议之上。

通用汽车制造的ISV于2023年在海湾国家完成了夏季试验。评估包括穿越沙丘、松软沙路和岩石地带的2000公里行军。

公司官员表示，公司计划让其近期研发的下一代战术车辆（NGTV）在 2026 年夏季试验中进行同样的评估。

随着通用汽车防务公司在中东地区不断扩大业务版图，该公司有意将其部分动力推进和发动机系统整合到现有的区域平台中。

工程师们通过其混合动力电动汽车（包括 NGTV-H）开发的关键技术之一是能够静音行驶，该公司将这一特性宣传为战斗中的优势。

伊丽莎白·戈斯林-马洛曾任《防务新闻》欧洲通讯员。她的报道涵盖军事采购和国际安全等广泛领域，尤其擅长航空领域的报道。她常驻意大利米兰。