A.M. General Corp., the South Bend manufacturer of Humvee military vehicles and Hummer consumer sport-utility vehicles, has formed a joint venture with General Dynamics Land Systems to compete to build a next-generation vehicle for the U.S. Army and Marines Corps.
The joint venture, called General Tactical Vehicles, will be headquartered in the Detroit area, and design five variations of the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle. All will be armored and have extensive computer capabilities.
The Humvee has been criticized for its weakness against roadside bombs. U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., co-sponsored legislation last year to add armor to Humvees used in Iraq.
Approximately 2,300 of A.M. General’s 2,600 employees are in South Bend and nearby Mishawaka, where it operates manufacturing facilities.
General Dynamics Land Systems is an arm of General Dynamics Corp., a military contractor based in Falls Church, Va.
