South Bend, Ind., February 16, 2023 – Leading global military mobility solutions provider AM General will showcase innovative products and technology that sets the standard to support the warfighter, today and well into the future, at the International Defense Exhibition (IDEX) February 20-24, 2023, Booth #B08, Hall 2, U.S. Pavilion, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) in Abu Dhabi, UAE. On the heels of the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) follow on contract award, the company will debut the HUMVEE Saber Blade Edition concept outside of the United States – a collaboration with leading defense companies to showcase the platform’s flexibility to easily integrate various advanced weapons systems.
“We are extremely excited to participate at IDEX, which is the perfect venue to introduce new and innovative products on the world’s stage in support of our most important customer – the Warfighter,” said John Chadbourne, AM General EVP – Chief Business Development Officer. “With the HUMVEE Saber Blade Edition, we continue to push the boundaries of lethality and protection on the battlefield, and we’re proud of the collective effort we fostered with AeroVironment and Hornet to develop this concept.”
The company’s core capability of Light Tactical Vehicle (LTV) development and production with HUMVEE vehicles, HUMVEE Saber, and now JLTV, ensures that the end user is well equipped and supported on the battlefield. The HUMVEE Saber Blade Edition concept underscores how AM General continues to innovate to adapt and win on the modern battlefield with offensive and defensive capabilities – all in a vehicle that is rugged, responsive, and reliable. The HUMVEE Saber Blade edition integrates AeroVironment’s Switchblade® loitering munitions and a Hornet Air Guard Remote Controlled Weapon System (RCWS) with Counter-UAS concept by Hornet. The loitering munitions on the HUMVEE Saber Blade Edition include the Switchblade 300 and Switchblade 600 that provide rapidly deployable, loitering precision strike missiles for use against non-line-of-sight targets. The Hornet Air Guard offers anti-drone detection & neutralization capabilities to the Hornet RCWS which provides surveillance, fire, and self-protection thanks the use of air-burst ammunition and the addition of an independent drone detection ring.
“The current conflicts have demonstrated the increasing importance of drones, whether to target vehicles or for reconnaissance missions. Being able to detect and defeat such threats while maintaining the vehicle’s primary protective capacity is the ultimate capability for a Remote-Controlled Weapon Station. That’s Hornet Air Guard ambition,” explains Jean Boy, Managing Director of Hornet.
Through continuous improvement, the HUMVEE Saber contains leap-ahead technology in a redesigned vehicle that offers increased levels of protection in a truly agile light tactical vehicle. The proprietary cabin design is redefining survivability that allows for 360-degree kinetic energy threat protection as well as blast threat protection. Built off the HUMVEE vehicle platform, the HUMVEE Saber offers maximum commonality, simplified maintenance, and streamlined fleet sustainment.