GM Defense, a subsidiary of General Motors, BAE Systems, and NP Aerospace have formed an advanced automotive, defense technology, and vehicle integration dream team called Team LionStrike to help the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense rapidly modernize its ground vehicle fleet.
The three companies will compete for the U.K.’s Light Mobility Vehicle platform, which is part of the wider Land Mobility Programme being undertaken to consolidate disparate and aging vehicle designs. The Ministry of Defense plans to purchase several thousand light mobility vehicles over the next decade that will be deployed across infantry, cavalry, and artillery groups.
“Soldiers in the United Kingdom, the United States, and our allies are facing unprecedented complexity in the modern battlespace and need new tools to perform their mission with greater operational capability, higher performance, and improved safety and reliability,” said Steve duMont, president of GM Defense. “We have formed Team LionStrike with BAE Systems and NP Aerospace to make the U.K. more secure with fast, flexible, and effective mobility solutions that reduce the complexity, cost, and risks of training and deploying troops.”
GM Defense’s flagship product is the Infantry Squad Vehicle and its derivatives. The ISV is an extremely capable truck that can carry up to nine soldiers and their gear, yet light enough to be sling loaded from a helicopter and compact enough to fit inside a CH-47 Chinook helicopter.
The ISV is comfortable and safe thanks to advanced features like electronic stability control and anti-lock brakes, and its commercial design, which is based on the off-road-ready Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 pickup truck with a JP8-fueled Duramax diesel engine. The design was heavily influenced by GM’s desert racing experience, as well as feedback from soldiers serving with the U.S. Army’s 82nd and 101st Airborne divisions and other front-line units.
Earlier this year, the ISV won the National Defense Industrial Association’s Red Ball Express award for its critical role in improving the mobility and operational effectiveness of U.S. infantry forces.
BAE Systems, the U.K.’s largest defense company, is working with GM Defense to enhance and upgrade commercial trucks and sport utility vehicles for U.K. military use. The work will be done by BAE Systems’ Weapon Systems U.K. business, which specializes in a range of world-class combat systems and plays a pivotal role in delivering solutions that meet the unique demands of UK and international operations. In addition, the companies will work with NP Aerospace to ensure that the vehicles comply with U.K. operational requirements.
“The combined capabilities of Team LionStrike enable us to lead the charge for the U.K. government’s ambitions to revitalize and sustain vital U.K. Defense capacity, and ensure the British Army has the best capabilities to support their evolving needs,” said John Borton, managing director, BAE Systems’ Weapons Systems U.K. business. “The team’s expertise in innovation, technical excellence, and proven capabilities will equip the British military with enhanced mobile combat capability – helping them to stay unmatched in battle.”
“We are proud to have been selected by GM Defense to join Team LionStrike, alongside BAE Systems,” said NP Aerospace CEO James Kempston. “NP Aerospace is a trusted partner of the U.K. Ministry of Defense, with a long history of integrating and supporting more than 18,000 in-service vehicle systems. As the team’s proposed U.K.-based Design Authority, specialist integrator, and support provider, NP Aerospace brings proven expertise and a strong track record of delivery. This ensures that Team LionStrike can be relied upon to deliver future vehicle programs, including LMV. Importantly, Team LionStrike will help create and sustain skilled jobs at our Midlands base and generate new opportunities for our well-established U.K. supply chain, both domestically and internationally. This is a win-win for the Ministry of Defense, industry, and the wider U.K. economy.”
Team LionStrike will be exhibiting at U.K.’s premier defense show, Defense & Security Equipment International, starting on September 9, 2025.