AM General is debuting its new Right Hand Drive M-1165 2.0 Deployable Reconnaissance Ground Network-Vehicle (DRGN-V), specifically designed for international rapidly deployable forces, border surveillance, reconnaissance and interdiction missions, at the Singapore Airshow, Changi Exhibition Center Feb. 11-16.
The company said it will also showcase its award-winning Services Parts and Logistics Operation that engages in worldwide supply chain management and field service support, dealer and technician training, advanced driver training and warranty support services.
Photo: AM General
“The Singapore Airshow is an exceptional venue for AM General to debut its new M-1165 2.0 DRGN vehicle and display the company’s diverse range of innovative products and services,” said AM General Vice President, International Business Development, Scott Thompson. “As we continue to expand and strengthen our partnerships in the region, we will use this opportunity to engage current and potential customers, listen to their unique needs and offer them the most innovative, affordable mobility solutions available today to meet their demands.”
The right hand drive M-1165 2.0 DRGN-V is light, speedy and maneuverable, the company said, while incorporating AM General’s more than 50 years of expertise and experience in designing, developing and manufacturing Light Tactical Vehicles (LTVs). The vehicle was developed by taking lessons learned from the battlefield and the commercial automotive industry and delivering it in a LTV package.
Utilizing technologies for greater performance and mission flexibility, AM General’s M-1165 2.0 DRGN solution demonstrates unmatched power and mobility, the company said. Because of its narrow 2.0 meter width and light weight, the vehicle is specifically designed to be deployed quickly from inside a cargo helicopter, and maneuver through tight urban and harsh jungle and desert environments.
The DRGN is an extremely flexible platform that can be quickly configured to meet a multitude of varying mission requirements. It has approximately 70 percent parts commonality with the current Humvee family of vehicles, which significantly reduces expenses for parts, maintenance and training at a time of increasing pressure on defense budgets around the world.
To meet the growing international need for the company’s LTVs, AM General has introduced the Right Hand Drive (RHD) vehicle option for its product offerings. The RHD vehicles are re-engineered for the 70-plus countries where vehicles are driven on the left side of the road. This is one of three new internationally focused LTV models the company is now offering to expand beyond the more than 60 foreign countries already operating standard Humvees in their security forces.
Developed by AM General’s engineering and design team, the RHD vehicle brings with it the same performance, mobility, reliability, and quality that made the Humvee family of vehicles famous across the globe. Strict Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) processes throughout development resulted in the best right-hand drive light tactical vehicle available today.
“AM General’s primary markets for Right Hand Drive vehicles are South East Asia and India. Another is Africa and we have received interest from New Zealand,” said Thompson. “We think the Right Hand Drive will one day represent approximately 30-40 percent of our sales in the international market.”
The DRGN-V is at booth Q95 in the U.S. Pavilion.
AM General representatives will be on hand to talk about the company’s worldwide supply chain management and support. In the past year, the company said it has shipped more than 4.7 million certified line-item parts worldwide for Humvee fleets in 21 nations in addition to U.S. armed forces. The company has also provided specialized instruction to more than 3,200 international students from 12 countries and has deployed its field service representatives to 23 countries.