GM Defense wins Red Ball Express Award for the Infantry Squad Vehicle
GM Defense, a subsidiary of General Motors, received the 2024 Red Ball Express Award from the National Defense Industrial Association for its Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV), a nine-passenger all-terrain troop carrier. The Red Ball Express Award recognizes achievements that strengthen national security by developing, procuring, or supporting tactical wheeled vehicles or related technologies.
Light and highly mobile, the ISV enables our war fighters to travel with speed and agility. The vehicle's off-road performance and maneuverability enables quick response to dynamic combat scenarios, providing with distinct tactical advantage.
The Red Ball Express was a World War II truck convoy system that supplied Allied forces moving through Europe following the D-Day invasion in 1944. To expedite shipments of key supplies like fuel, food, and ammunition to the front, trucks marked with red balls travelled a route closed to civilian traffic, while receiving priority on regular roads. The operation ran 24 hours a day, in every weather condition. GM supplied 854,000 trucks to Allies in WWII, including GMC 6x6 trucks that were a part of the Red Ball Express convoy.