“GM Defense Unveils Cutting-Edge Suburban Shield Armored Vehicles for Qatar’s Elite Forces”
GM Defense is supplying next-generation Suburban Shield armored vehicles to the Qatar Armed Forces and Special Forces Command for secure diplomatic protection and VIP transportation.
The Suburban Shield is built upon General Motors’ full-sized pickup truck and SUV architecture. This vehicle incorporates a significant number of commercial components, such as the body, exterior, propulsion system, interior, and braking systems.
The Suburban Shield features a brand-new, innovative body-on-frame chassis along with a suspension system, crafted to accommodate enhanced vehicle weight and performance demands. The vehicle utilizes digital engineering techniques and GM’s global quality management framework to achieve efficiencies during the development phase while ensuring exceptional quality and performance standards.
“GM Defense’s next-generation Suburban Shield delivers unparalleled performance for the Qatar Armed Forces, thanks to GM’s cutting-edge technologies,” stated Steve duMont, president of GM Defense. “We developed the Suburban Shield from scratch as a fortified vehicle employing GM’s world-class methodologies and tools to ensure the dependability and excellence anticipated from a GM product. We’re confident this vehicle will assist the Qatar Armed Forces in effectively executing their vital diplomatic protection missions, and we eagerly anticipate the Suburban Shield bringing a new level of sophistication to protective vehicles in the region.”
GM Defense integrates protective armor into the initial design and manufacturing stages, moving away from traditional after-market, teardown, and rebuild approaches. Innovative design features guarantee the vehicle is both secure and reliable, performing up to the standards of an OEM-manufactured vehicle, while meeting GM’s rigorous commercial criteria.
“Our OEM-provided solution benefits from GM’s exceptional technologies, engineering expertise, and validation capabilities, coupled with global quality management systems that standard defense contractors typically lack,” remarked Bradley Watters, vice president of international business development for GM Defense. “With the Suburban Shield, GM Defense provides a unique solution that surpasses earlier generation vehicles. We take pride in offering this capability to the Qatar Armed Forces, which will aid in modernizing their legacy systems.”
The Suburban Shield features independent armoring certification with various customization options and configurations to align with client specifications. Leveraging GM’s world-class manufacturing and comprehensive global supply chain, GM Defense can supply international armored vehicle fleets swiftly and effectively, supported by GM’s extensive sustainment and service network.
Besides delivering Suburban Shields to select international security entities, GM Defense also supplies tailored Suburban Shields to the U.S. Department of State’s (DoS) Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) for its Heavy-Duty Armored Sport Utility Vehicle program. The company has recently completed several of the initial production vehicles for the law enforcement and security branch of the DoS.
