Chevrolet Silverado HD added to Team LionStrike's UK defence portfolio
Above: GM Defence Chevrolet Silverado HD alongside a replica WW2 LRDG vehicle.
Courtesy Team LionStrike
Equipped with a 6.6-litre Duramax turbodiesel V8 that produces 1,322 Nm of torque, the Silverado HD is built for serious work. In the 2500HD version, that translates to up to 9,997 kg of towing and 1,860 kg of payload, while the 3500HD (single rear wheel variant) pushes capability even further with almost 10,000 kg of towing and over two metric tonnes of payload.
The internal capacity provides sufficient room to both transport and concurrently operate inside the vehicle with the kit and equipment required by modern-day warfighters. The logistic load space is also significant (up to 2.1m x 1.9m) enabling NATO pallet transportation.
Team LionStrike’s offer also includes:
- The Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) a light, agile and air-transportable troop carrier derived from the Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck that is designed to give infantry combat teams rapid mobility across complex terrain. The ISV has been selected by the armed forces of Canada and the United States as they have modernised their equipment, bringing capability, scalability, and affordability relative to bespoke military platforms.
- The Chevrolet Silverado LD pickup equipped with the 3.0-litre Duramax turbodiesel for strong low-end torque with proven capability. It delivers 671 Nm of torque and up to 6804 kg of towing and 1000 kg payload for demanding work across long distances.
Gilbert Nelson, Vice President, International Sales and Marketing, GM Defence, said: “Team LionStrike’s approach - leveraging the depth, experience and highly-skilled UK based workforce of BAE Systems and NP Aerospace to modify, integrate, homologate and support vehicles built in North America by GM - is the fastest, lowest-cost path to put modern vehicles into the hands of British soldiers. Our foundation is commercial, off-the-shelf technology with a proven track record of quality, durability and capability that can be OEM-adapted to meet emerging requirements. That’s how we will rapidly enhance the operational readiness of the British Armed Forces and reduce the cost and complexity of equipping, training and deploying troops.”
The success of the Chevrolet Silverado family, together with its sister brand GMC, has made General Motors’ full-size pickups the US industry leader, with more than five million trucks delivered over the last five years.
For more than a century, the designers, engineers and manufacturing team at General Motors have delivered vehicles that have proven their quality, durability and capability in military theatres all over the world.
GM was the largest supplier to the US armed forces during World War II and Chevrolet and GMC trucks were the backbone of critical operations like the Red Ball Express, the massive logistic operation that supported Allied forces as they pursued the enemy forces after D-Day. In addition, the British Army’s Long Range Desert Group, an elite reconnaissance and raiding unit, relied on the Chevrolet 30 CWT to operate deep behind enemy lines in North Africa from 1940–1943. One of the Long Range Desert Group’s trucks was recovered from the Egyptian desert in 1980 and is now in the collection of the Imperial War Museum and there have been replicas built of the Chevrolet 30 CWT to celebrate and preserve the heritage of the unit.
