GM Defense will provide Suburban Shield armoured vehicles to the Qatar Armed Forces and Special Forces Command for protected diplomatic security and VIP transport.

The Suburban Shield is based on General Motors’ full-size pickup truck and sport utility vehicle architecture. The vehicle features a high percentage of commercial parts, including the body, exterior, propulsion, interior, and brakes.

Suburban Shield includes a new and unique body-on-frame chassis and suspension system, designed to support increased vehicle weight and performance requirements. The vehicle leverages digital engineering and GM’s global quality management system.

“We’re confident the vehicle will help the Qatar Armed Forces effectively carry out their important diplomatic security missions and are excited to see Suburban Shield introduce a new level of sophistication to protected vehicles in the region,” said Steve duMont, president of GM Defense. 

GM Defense incorporates protective armour into the original design and manufacturing process, diverging from previous after-market, tear-down and rebuild practices. "Our OEM-provided solution benefits from GM’s world-class technologies, engineering and validation capabilities, and global quality management systems that traditional defence contractors don’t offer,” said Bradley Watters, vice president of international business development for GM Defense.

Suburban Shield includes independent armouring certification with options and configurations to suit customer requirements. Customised suburban Shields have also been provided to the US Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service to support its heavy-duty armoured Sport Utility Vehicle programme. The company recently completed some of the first production vehicles for the law enforcement and security arm of the DoS.