General Dynamics Land Systems

General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) is an American manufacturer of military vehicles, including tanks and light Armoured fighting vehicles. The company is based in Sterling Heights, Michigan, and is a subsidiary of General Dynamics.

It was originally established in 1982 following the acquisition of Chrysler Defense.[1]

GDLS is known for developing and manufacturing vehicles such as the M1 Abrams tank, Stryker, and LAV 6.

History

In February 1982, Chrysler announced the sale of Chrysler Defense, its profitable defense subsidiary, to General Dynamics for US$348.5 million. The sale was completed in March 1982 for the revised figure of US$336.1 million and renamed General Dynamics Land Systems.[2]

General Dynamics Land Systems Australia

General Dynamics Land Systems–Australia was established in 2000 as a subsidiary to support the production of ASLAV.[8] GDLS-A now provides engineering, manufacturing, systems integration, upgrade and fleet management services for GDLS Armoured Fighting Vehicles in the Asia Pacific region. In Australia this includes the ADF's ASLAV Light Armoured Vehicles and M1A1 Main Battle Tanks, supported under a Through Life Support Contract awarded in June 2011.

GDLS-A reports operationally to General Dynamics Land Systems–Canada (GDLS-C).

GDLS-A was established in October 2000 as General Motors Defence Australia. General Motors Defense operations worldwide were sold to General Dynamics Land Systems in March 2003. GDLS-A was established as a result of GDLS-C being awarded the Phase III contract to provide 144 Australian Light Armoured Vehicles (ASLAV) to the Commonwealth of Australia. The contract provided for the manufacture of the LAV-25 turret system in Adelaide and the establishment of a significant Australian supplier base to support manufacturing for GDLS' global supply chain for LAV-25 turrets.

GDLS-A’s primary customer is the Defence Materiel Organisation, Commonwealth of Australia, located in Melbourne, Victoria. Its National Manufacturing and Support Centre is located north of Adelaide in Pooraka. GDLS-A also has Field Service Groups in Darwin and Brisbane, and a Fleet Management Services office in Southbank, Melbourne.

General Dynamics Land Systems Canada

In 2003, GDLS acquired Steyr-Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeug GmbH (SSF), the land defense vehicles unit of Steyr-Daimler-Puch, and General Dynamics Land Systems – Canada (GDLS-C), a subsidiary of General Dynamics based in London, Ontario, purchased General Motors Diesel, GM Defense unit from General Motors. At the time, it produced vehicles such as the LAV-25 and Stryker. The London operation continued in the GM Diesel plant location.[9] SSF merged into the General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) unit.

In 2015, GDLS Canada secured a fourteen-year, $15-billion deal to supply light armoured vehicles to Saudi Arabia.[10] Representatives from Unifor, the plant union, expressed concern that the London facility would suffer financially due to negative publicity surrounding the deal due to human rights concerns within Saudi Arabia.[11]

type	Subsidiary
industry	Defense
foundation	March 7, 1982
location country	U.S.
location	Sterling Heights, Michigan
area served	Worldwide
products	Defense
parent	General Dynamics
homepage	www.gdls.com

General Dynamics Land Systems

History

General Dynamics Land Systems Australia

General Dynamics Land Systems Canada

Manufacturing facilities

United States

Vehicles

External links

References