The U.S. Army will increase its fleet of M1301 Infantry Squad Vehicles (ISVs) from the originally planned 2,065 to 11,582 vehicles, a factor of more than five. As stated in an Army report dated August 19, the increase reflected insights from troop trials and the Transformation in Contact initiative. The units involved had identified a growing need for faster, lighter vehicles that can change position before drones and precision weapons finish their target acquisition cycle.
Not least, the lessons on infantry mobility—or the lack thereof—under drone threats from the Ukraine war are likely to play a role. Even before, the planned ISV count had grown after units identified additional tasks beyond transporting an infantry squad. In 2020, the Army initially ordered 649 of the then-2,065 requirement, and in the 2026 budget proposal a target of 9,282 was already listed.
M1301 also complements the M1297 Army Ground Mobility Vehicle
Among other things, 1,700 are to be procured to augment the parachute-droppable M1297 Army Ground Mobility Vehicle (AGMV) based on the General Dynamics Flyer 72. In February 2026, the now-confirmed requirement of 11,582 was reached. There is now also the five-seat ISV-U (for Utility) variant with a cargo bed, and a heavy version ISV-H is planned. The M1301 was first delivered to the 82nd Airborne Division and in 2024 was already relocated by the 101st Airborne Division on a relief mission following Hurricane Helene as internal load in the CH-47 Chinook from Fort Campell, Kentucky to North Carolina.
The M1301 is based on the chassis of the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 pickup truck and, in its basic form, carries a nine-person infantry squad. Weighing in at 2.2 tons empty, it is also capable of external load under UH-60 helicopters and internal load in CH-47s for air transport. It is intended to enable air-supported operations in which troops land beyond the enemy’s defenses and then advance up to 50 miles (80 kilometers) toward the objective. The vehicle is a core system in the conversion of the Army’s infantry and airborne brigades into Mobile Brigade Combat Teams (MBCT).
