Silent killers: UAE to soon get electric military vehicles, courtesy GM Defense

GM Defense has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UAE to develop and supply the country's armed forces with electric military vehicles. According to the company, the MoU signed with Tawazun Council - a UAE government entity - covers development of future products in the areas of advanced mobility and power solutions.

GM Defense, a subsidiary of General Motors (GM), is a well-established brand in defence vehicle manufacturing. In a press statement, the company informed that it will leverage the commercial technologies of GM and the battery electric investments already made by GM to global defence and government customers. “Priority opportunities covered by the MOU include cooperative research and development, regional production and assembly, and post-production support and global logistics focused on the key technology areas of integrated vehicles; power and propulsion — including fuel cell and power generation; and autonomy and connectivity," a press statement informed.

The MoU is also the first partnership for GM Defense in West Asia and while the company has been vying for key military contracts within the US, is now also looking for a global reach, especially since formally announcing GM Defense International last year.

GM Defense has previously supplied several military vehicles with varying use-case applications. But the global shift towards electric vehicles or EVs also brings with it newer possibilities in the defence sector. Several national governments and military experts see an obvious benefit of gradually moving towards electric powertrain in the times to come, banking on the ability of such vehicles to operate silently in stealth operations.

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