General Dynamics Land Systems
{{Short description|Manufacturer of military vehicles}}
{{more citations needed|date=November 2021}}
{{Infobox company
| name = General Dynamics Land Systems
| logo =
| type = Subsidiary
| industry = Defense
| foundation = {{start date and age|1982|03|07}}
| location_country = U.S.
| location = Sterling Heights, Michigan
| locations =
| area_served = Worldwide
| products = Defense
| services =
| parent = General Dynamics
| homepage = {{URL|www.gdls.com}}
| footnotes =
| intl =
}}
General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) is an American manufacturer of military vehicles, including tanks and light armored 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.{{Cite web |title=Our History {{!}} General Dynamics |url=https://www.gd.com/about-gd/our-history |access-date=2024-07-27 |website=www.gd.com |language=en}}
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.{{cite news |title = Chrysler Unit Sold |url= https://www.nytimes.com/1982/03/17/business/chrysler-unit-sold.html |work = The New York Times |date=17 March 1982 |access-date = 30 April 2017}}{{cite news |date=17 March 1982 |title=GD Completes Purchase of Chrysler Tank Division |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/637886736/?terms=%22general%20dynamics%20land%20systems%22&match=1 |access-date=26 December 2023 |work=Fort Worth Star-Telegram |agency=AP}} Under this newly formed division, General Dynamics would take over production of the M60 and M1 tanks for the United States Army.
In 1985, 3 years after the sale from Chrysler, General Dynamics production plants in Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania went on strike. Members of these plants were part of the United Automobile Workers union. The strike was primarily around wage increases.{{cite news |last1=Barron |first1=James |title=Army Will Get Tanks Despite Strike, Builder Says |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/09/29/us/army-will-get-tanks-despite-strike-builder-says.html |access-date=26 December 2023 |work=The New York Times |date=29 September 1985}}
On April 11, 2024, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced sanctions on the company due to its arms sales to Taiwan.{{Cite news |date=11 April 2024 |title=China sanctions two US defence firms for selling Taiwan weapons |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/china-sanctions-two-us-defence-firms-selling-taiwan-weapons-2024-04-11/ |access-date=2 January 2025 |work=Reuters}} On March 4, 2025, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce placed 15 U.S. entities (including General Dynamics Land Systems) on its export control list, barring the export of dual-use commodities to that business.{{cite web | last=Cheng | first=Evelyn | title=China retaliates with additional tariffs of up to 15% on some U.S. goods from March 10 | website=CNBC | date=2025-03-04 | url=https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/04/china-rejects-additional-us-tariffs-vows-to-take-countermeasures.html | access-date=2025-03-04}}{{cite web | last=Min-hee | first=Jung | title=U.S.-China Trade Dispute Intensifies with New Chinese Tariffs | website=Businesskorea | date=2025-03-04 | url=https://www.businesskorea.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=236637 | language=ko | access-date=2025-03-04}}
= General Dynamics Land Systems Australia =
File:Pooraka Demo Vehicle GDLS.jpg
File:Pooraka Turret Welder 02.jpg
General Dynamics Land Systems–Australia (GDLS-Australia or GDLS-A) was established in 2000 as a subsidiary to support the production of ASLAV.{{Cite press release |last=Systems-Australia |first=General Dynamics Land |title=General Dynamics and Thales Australia Announce Agreement to Team for LAND 400 |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/general-dynamics-and-thales-australia-announce-agreement-to-team-for-land-400-300048556.html |access-date=2024-07-27 |website=www.prnewswire.com |language=en}} 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.{{cite web | url=https://lfpress.com/2017/07/09/factories-redeveloped-by-shipping-firms-hcl-logistics-and-drexel-industries | title=Factories redeveloped by shipping firms HCL Logistics and Drexel Industries }} 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.{{cite web | url=http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/union-asks-ndp-to-keep-saudi-armoured-vehicles-deal-under-wraps-fearing-significant-job-losses | title=Union asks NDP to keep Saudi armoured vehicles deal 'under wraps', fearing 'significant' job losses | work=Postmedia Network | date=30 September 2015 | access-date=30 September 2015 | author=De Bono, Norman}} 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.{{Cite news |last=Middleton |first=Ed |date=August 7, 2018 |title='Clear risk to jobs': Trade dispute with Saudi Arabia worries General Dynamics workers |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/general-dynamics-saudi-arabia-lav-1.4776182 |work=CBC News}} Both Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe and New Democrat Thomas Mulcair challenged Prime Minister Stephen Harper on the secrecy surrounding military sales to Saudi Arabia. David Perry, senior analyst with the Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute, argued that secrecy in trade details is part of a pragmatic foreign trade policy necessary for a domestic industry in a global market.
Manufacturing facilities
{{Expand section|date=July 2024}}
= United States =
The division operates the Lima Army Tank Plant and General Dynamics Anniston Operations in Anniston, Alabama, along with smaller operations in Tallahassee, Florida, and Scranton, Pennsylvania. Headquarters are located in Sterling Heights, Michigan. As of 2016, General Dynamics Land Systems employed 6,800 people.[https://www.macombgov.org/sites/default/files/content/government/ped/pdfs/Momentum-Full-Reducedsize.pdf New Products, New Customers - Macomb County]
Vehicles
- M1 Abrams, the American main battle tank
- K1 88-Tank, the South Korean main battle tank
- Light Armoured Vehicle, a family of infantry fighting vehicles
- Stryker, a family of eight-wheeled armored fighting vehicles derived from the Canadian LAV III
- Ajax, a family of tracked armoured fighting vehicles being developed for the British Army
- Buffalo, a wheeled mine resistant, ambush protected (MRAP) armored military vehicle
- Cougar, an MRAP and infantry mobility vehicle structured to be resistant to landmines and improvised munitions
- Multi-Utility Tactical Transport (MUTT), currently being trialed by the United States military
- Griffin, a series of armoured fighting vehicles under development and being offered under the United States Army Next Generation Combat Vehicle program
- Mobile Protected Firepower (MPF), a prototype undergoing Soldier Vehicle Assessment (SVA) (cancelled){{cite web|url= https://www.businessinsider.com/us-army-scrapping-m10-booker-light-tank-vehicle-too-heavy-2025-5 |title=The US Army says it's scrapping a new light assault vehicle that got 'too heavy'|publisher=Business Insider, May 2, 2025|accessdate=May 2, 2025}}
- Tracked Robot 10-Ton (TRX), a robotic combat vehicle platform
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
- {{Official website|1=https://www.gdls.com/}}
- [https://gdls-aus.com General Dynamics Land Systems Australia Website]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20180805204240/http://gdlscanada.com/ General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada Website]
{{General Dynamics}}
{{Automotive industry in the United States}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:American entities subject to Chinese sanctions
Category:Defense companies of the United States
Category:Military vehicle manufacturers
Category:Motor vehicle manufacturers based in Michigan
Category:Companies based in Macomb County, Michigan
Category:Sterling Heights, Michigan
Category:American companies established in 1982
Category:Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1982