Plasan turns a Jeep Gladiator into a 12-seat troop carrier

Israeli armored vehicle maker Plasan and off-road equipment specialist ASFIR 4X4 have unveiled Stormer, a light tactical vehicle for special operations forces built on a Jeep Gladiator pickup and designed to carry up to 12 people and more than 1,000 kg (2,200 pounds) of payload.

The companies will show Stormer at the Association of the U.S. Army annual meeting in Washington, D.C., at booth 2407. They did not disclose a price, production plans or any customers.

Stormer starts as a commercial Jeep Gladiator powered by a 3.6-liter, 280-horsepower gasoline engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission. Plasan reinforced the chassis and driveline, including upgraded Dana axles, to handle the heavier loads, and added a modular roll-over protection frame that keeps the crew area open for all-around visibility. The companies say the vehicle is designed to be carried by aircraft for rapid deployment.

The rear platform can be set up for carrying troops, cargo, casualty evacuation, weapons or mission equipment such as radar, counter-drone systems, communications gear and an electric winch. A three-position folding rear door lets troops get in and out quickly and can hold a stretcher for casualty evacuation. The vehicle also has a 24-volt electrical system, blackout driving lights, a communications console and several antenna mounts for customer-installed systems.

Plasan said building on a commercial vehicle with widely available parts is meant to make Stormer simpler to maintain and support over time.

“STORMER was developed to address a growing operational requirement for a rapidly deployable platform capable of carrying larger teams and mission equipment without compromising mobility,” said Moshe Elazar, chief executive of Plasan.

“Our collaboration with Plasan enabled us to transform a proven commercial 4×4 platform into a practical and highly capable tactical solution,” said Tzachi Oz, chief executive of ASFIR 4X4.

Plasan, based at Kibbutz Sasa in northern Israel, is best known for armor. Its kitted protection hulls have been fitted to thousands of U.S. military vehicles, including Oshkosh M-ATV and Navistar MaxxPro mine-resistant vehicles, and its North American subsidiary supplies cab components for the U.S. Army’s Joint Light Tactical Vehicle. The company also builds its own SandCat protected vehicle family, which it says is in service on five continents. ASFIR 4X4, based in Tel Adashim, makes off-road accessories and components, including underbody protection for the Jeep Gladiator.

Stormer is unarmored, unlike the SandCat. Israeli outlet Ynet previously reported on a nine-seat, Gladiator-based combat vehicle called Barak from Plasan and an off-road engineering partner, with a payload of about one ton. Plasan has not said how Stormer relates to that vehicle.

Commercial pickup-based troop carriers are already in U.S. service. The U.S. Army’s Infantry Squad Vehicle, built by GM Defense on a Chevrolet Colorado chassis, carries a nine-soldier squad.