Back in the days of the World War II, the off-road car as we know it today was born. One of the ancestors of today’s SUVs is the Willys MB, also know as the Jeep, a machine deployed at the time in almost all theaters of war. Since then, off-road capable machines have become extremely important for the military, who is always seeking for more and better vehicles.
As the U.S. army is currently on the lookout for the next generation Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV), FCA and AM General announced this week plans to bring back the Jeep to the battlefield, as a military-grade truck based on a current production car..
The Jeep in question is the new Gladiator, and it has been heavily modified by AM General and presented at the Annual Meeting and Exposition of the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) as the Jeep Gladiator Extreme Military-Grade Truck (XMT).
The two companies have not detailed the modifications made to the car, but they did say specialized parts, both custom-built and commercially available military-grade, have gone into making it what it is. Moreover, the Gladiator XMT seen in the two photos above is just a proof of concept, as the two plan to offer variants of it “based on customer requirements.”
That means it can be used for anything from personnel transport carrier to command and control truck.
“The all-new Jeep Gladiator boasts unmatched functionality, versatility and especially capability, including two advanced 4x4 systems, locking differentials, skid plates, tow hooks, and incredible approach, breakover and departure angles – the perfect foundation for this ultra-capable military concept vehicle,” said in a statement Jim Morrison, the head of Jeep.
“We’re proud to partner with AM General, we look forward to gauging interest and gathering feedback on the Jeep Gladiator XMT, and we’re excited about potential future opportunities.”
Neither Jeep nor AM General said whether the Gladiator XMT had the desired impact on potential customers, or whether production will go ahead.
The Jeep in question is the new Gladiator, and it has been heavily modified by AM General and presented at the Annual Meeting and Exposition of the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) as the Jeep Gladiator Extreme Military-Grade Truck (XMT).
The two companies have not detailed the modifications made to the car, but they did say specialized parts, both custom-built and commercially available military-grade, have gone into making it what it is. Moreover, the Gladiator XMT seen in the two photos above is just a proof of concept, as the two plan to offer variants of it “based on customer requirements.”
That means it can be used for anything from personnel transport carrier to command and control truck.
“The all-new Jeep Gladiator boasts unmatched functionality, versatility and especially capability, including two advanced 4x4 systems, locking differentials, skid plates, tow hooks, and incredible approach, breakover and departure angles – the perfect foundation for this ultra-capable military concept vehicle,” said in a statement Jim Morrison, the head of Jeep.
“We’re proud to partner with AM General, we look forward to gauging interest and gathering feedback on the Jeep Gladiator XMT, and we’re excited about potential future opportunities.”
Neither Jeep nor AM General said whether the Gladiator XMT had the desired impact on potential customers, or whether production will go ahead.