Leading manufacturer of light tactical vehicles AM General, together with the Jeep® brand of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), today introduced a new light tactical concept vehicle at the Annual Meeting and Exposition of the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA). The Jeep Gladiator Extreme Military-Grade Truck (XMT) by AM General is the first phase of a collaboration that reunites two companies whose histories trace back to World War II. In creating the Jeep Gladiator XMT, AM General leveraged Gladiator’s class-leading capabilities and customized the truck to meet global customers’ needs for a light-weight military truck.
“We are extremely excited to partner with FCA and introduce the Jeep Gladiator Extreme Military-Grade Truck at AUSA,” said AM General President and CEO Andy Hove. “This new venture gives us an opportunity to showcase our expertise in light tactical vehicles and help FCA maximize the Gladiator’s global reach and potentially enter new military markets.”
AM General identified the all-new 2020 Jeep Gladiator – the most capable midsize truck ever, with 7,650 pounds of towing capacity and up to 1,600 pounds of payload capacity – as the ideal platform on which to develop the Extreme Military-Grade concept vehicle.
“The Jeep brand has an important military heritage, so we couldn’t be happier that AM General expressed interest in creating the Gladiator XMT,” said Jim Morrison, Head of Jeep Brand – North America. “The all-new Jeep Gladiator boasts unmatched functionality, versatility and especially capability, including two advanced 4×4 systems, locking differentials, skid plates, tow hooks, and incredible approach, breakover and departure angles – the perfect foundation for this ultra-capable military concept vehicle.
“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,” Morrison added.
Based on its more than 100 years of experience in the defense industry and deep knowledge of the global military landscape, AM General identified a series of parts and accessories that amplify the Jeep Gladiator’s leading off-road maneuverability and enhance the Gladiator’s capability to provide its end users with the appropriate equipment for tactical communications and service. The Jeep Gladiator XMT has been upfitted by AM General with both custom-built and commercially available military-grade parts to create an even more rugged truck that can traverse the toughest of terrains in adverse conditions and is ready to meet varied military customer requirements.
As with the iconic, proven and versatile Humvee, AM General can also apply its manufacturing and engineering expertise to convert the Gladiator XMT into mission-specific and purposeful light-weight tactical trucks based on customer requirements. Whether the need is to have a rugged personnel transport carrier or a command and control truck, the company has demonstrated through the Enhanced Tactical Kit (ETK) offerings on Humvee, its ability to deliver solutions that are customer-driven and cost-effective.
Pending feedback and interest in the military marketplace, production could begin in the second half of 2020. In addition to the gas model, Gladiator XMT would be offered to military customers as a diesel version.
