GM Defense is providing next generation Suburban Shield armoured vehicles to the Qatar Armed Forces and Special Forces Command.
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Press Release, Concord NC, 07 January 2025: GM Defense is providing next generation Suburban Shield armoured vehicles to the Qatar Armed Forces and Special Forces Command for protected diplomatic security and VIP transport.
The Suburban Shield is based on General Motors’ full-size pickup truck and sport utility vehicle architecture. The vehicle features a high percentage of commercial parts, including the body, exterior, propulsion, interior, and brakes. Suburban Shield includes a new and unique body-on-frame chassis and suspension system, designed to support increased vehicle weight and performance requirements. The vehicle leverages digital engineering and GM’s global quality management system to realise efficiencies throughout the development phase while ensuring the highest levels of quality and performance.
“GM Defense’s next-generation Suburban Shield offers the Qatar Armed Forces unrivalled performance thanks to GM’s advanced technologies,” said Steve duMont, president of GM Defense. “We engineered the Suburban Shield from the ground up as a protected vehicle using GM’s world-class process and tools to deliver the reliability and quality expected from a GM vehicle. We’re confident the vehicle will help the Qatar Armed Forces effectively carry out their important diplomatic security missions and are excited to see Suburban Shield introduce a new level of sophistication to protected vehicles in the region.”
GM Defense incorporates protective armour into the original design and manufacturing process, diverging from previous after-market, tear-down and rebuild practices. New design features help ensure the vehicle is safe and reliable, while meeting GM’s stringent commercial standards.
“Our OEM-provided solution benefits from GM’s world-class technologies, engineering and validation capabilities, and global quality management systems that traditional defence contractors don’t offer,” said Bradley Watters, vice president of international business development for GM Defence. “With Suburban Shield, GM Defence delivers a one-of-a-kind solution that outperforms previous generation vehicles. We’re proud to offer this capability to the Qatar Armed Forces that will help replace their legacy platforms.”
Suburban Shield includes independent armouring certification with options and configurations to suit customer requirements.
GM Defence also provides customised Suburban Shields to the US Department of State’s (DoS) Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) in support of its Heavy-Duty armoured Sport Utility Vehicle programme. The company recently completed some of the first production vehicles for the law enforcement and security arm of the DoS.
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