In October 2013, the US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has awarded General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GD OTS) a USD5.8 million contract to supply ten Flyer 60 tactical ground vehicles an has indicated an acquisition potential of up to 1500 vehicles.

The contract, which will run for three years, will see GD OTS supply SOCOM with the vehicles in support of the command's V-22 Internally Transportable Vehicle (ITV) requirement.

With both Flyer 60 and Flyer 72 platforms now contracted with SOCOM, the Flyer is set to become the centrepiece of U.S. SOF future lightweight ground mobility: not only for its versatility in high priority mission sets - but also for its affordability as a high-mobility, reliable, multi-role asset. As such, it has come to define the market standard for this niche sector.

In the interim, GD-OTS has proposed a variant of the Flyer 72 platform to meet the U.S. Army's notional Ultra Light Combat Vehicle (ULCV) requirement. The high mobility solution must be able to carry a nine-man squad and payload but also be light enough - at 4500lbs curb weight - to be either sling-loaded by a UH-60 Black Hawk or internally transported in a CH-47 helicopter.

"We used the existing Flyer 72 GMV 1.1 platform to demonstrate this requirement. ULCV does not require the SOF peculiar kits, so we removed those items and exploited that space for increased troop transport. Utilizing a common base vehicle that is a program of record could save the U.S. Army considerable time and money. Having two programs that offer the same logistics footprint and support base reduces cost and increases operational readiness," said Sean Ridley, GD-OTS Program Manager for Lifgtweight Tactical Vehicles.

As a reliable and high performance vehicle, the Flyer-72 offers safe and fast operating speeds with superior levels of mobility and maneuverability. It’s highly adaptable to severe, rugged and restrictive terrains while providing off-road, cross-country mobility in all types of weather conditions.