Ford Wants to Build the U.S. Army’s Next Tactical Truck

Ford is entering the competition to build the U.S. Army’s next-generation tactical truck, the automaker announced Monday. The program could eventually give Ford one of its largest military vehicle deals in decades.

In a statement to MotorTrend, Ford said it was “excited to start work on this Army contract and look forward to delivering several incredibly capable vehicle prototypes that demonstrate the value Ford can provide to the Army and soldiers.”

The Pentagon awarded Ford a contract to develop three prototypes based on its F-Series Super Duty pickups as the Army looks to modernize its tactical vehicle fleet, according to The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the news. Ford will compete with General Motors and off-road vehicle manufacturer BC Customs during the prototype phase.

General Motors established GM Defense in 2017 as a wholly owned subsidiary focused on pursuing military and government contracts. The company is reportedly further along in developing its proposed tactical truck, which is based on the Chevrolet Silverado HD platform.

GM Defense has secured several military contracts in recent years, including one to produce more than 10,000 units of the Army’s Infantry Squad Vehicle based on the Chevrolet Colorado, and has expanded its customer base to international governments such as Canada, Qatar, and Brazil.

The Army is seeking approximately 600 trucks capable of traversing difficult terrain while also serving as mobile power sources for drones and command-and-control systems, according to the Journal. Recent conflicts, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the war in the Middle East, have increased pressure on American automakers and suppliers to develop vehicles and technologies that meet the military’s changing needs.

“Our Super Duty trucks are engineered for extreme durability and for the most challenging use cases, making it an ideal platform for military use,” Ford said. “Our Ford Pro platform, technologies, and capabilities offer global service and parts support and industry-leading uptime.”

Automakers have a long history of working with the U.S. government to develop and manufacture military vehicles. Ford supplied off-road vehicles to the military during the Korean and Vietnam wars, according to the Journal, but largely exited the defense industry in 1990 when it sold Ford Aerospace.

“Ford’s off-the-shelf solutions can deliver unmatched capacity and scale, cutting-edge technologies, and the rugged capabilities that can offer game-changing value and performance and meet the needs of governments and the military in a highly cost-effective way, just as we do with our commercial customers,” Ford said.