Plasan North America, the US arm of Israeli company Plasan, unveiled its Stormer modular 4×4 light tactical vehicle at the Association of the US Army (AUSA) 2026 exhibition, held in Washington, DC, from 12 to 14 October.

Developed in conjunction with Israeli off-road vehicle specialist ASFIR 4×4, the Stormer is based on the Jeep Grenadier and features 90% commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components. It has been designed as a versatile tactical platform that combines the logistical simplicity of a commercial vehicle with the capability and flexibility required for demanding military operations.

Stormer features

Designed to carry up to 12 personnel and more than 1,000 kg of payload, the Stormer has a reinforced chassis and driveline, high off-road mobility and a highly configurable mission architecture. Designed for airborne transport and rapid deployment, the vehicle enables forces to move personnel and mission equipment across demanding terrain.

The vehicle is powered by a 280 hp, 3.6-litre gasoline engine paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Its reinforced chassis and driveline, including upgraded Dana axles, are designed to support increased payload and durability while maintaining the mobility expected of a tactical vehicle. A modular roll-over protection system (ROPS) provides enhanced occupant protection while supporting 360° visibility and situational awareness.

The Stormer features a configurable rear platform that can support missions including troop transport, logistics, medical evacuation, weapons carriage and specialised mission equipment, including radars, counter-UAS solutions, communications systems and an electric winch. A three-position folding rear door enables rapid troop ingress and egress, secure transport of mission equipment and a stretcher configuration for casualty evacuation.

The vehicle also incorporates a 24 V electrical system, a blackout driving capability, a communications console, and multiple antenna mounting points, supporting the integration of customer-specific mission systems. The extensive use of commercially available components is intended to simplify maintenance, logistics and long-term sustainment.

The Stormer concept

Speaking to gathered journalists at AUSA 2026 on 12 October, Brett Maki, Plasan North America’s vice president for business development, said, “One of the things we’ve learned and we understand worldwide right now is that speed is a form of armour, so we have recently taken a Jeep, 90% commercial off the shelf, and transformed that into a highly capable squad vehicle.”

Maki then explained to Warsight that with the Stormer Plasan North America is not addressing a specific requirement and has been developed entirely with Plasan R&D funding, but added, “We’re looking at ‘Where do we have gaps in our special forces needs right now?’ And there’s some great vehicles out there at the squad level. However, one of the things that’s challenging for them is it’s not truly a commercial platform. So we’re historically taking commercial platforms and we’re making them really non-commercial with all the upgrades that we have to do.

“Our goal here,” Maki explained, “was to make it where it was 95% commercial off the shelf, where you could literally take this vehicle to your local dealer and have them service it. So through our partnership with ASFIR – so the axles, the suspension – all of that’s commercially available. Outside of the roll cage, which is custom made, the gunner seat, even all the jump seats and everything you could order online.”

Pointing to the Stormer example presented at AUSA 2026, Maki said, “We picked this one up off the lot probably a month ago.”

Maki noted that the company has been building and testing the vehicle in Israel with the Israel Defense Forces and that the vehicle on show was the first example built and unveiled in the United States.

While the vehicle on display featured a bolt-on rear module, Maki said that ultimately the vehicle would have a latch system, allowing different modules to be freely exchanged.

Regarding the market for the Stormer, Maki said that potential customers could include US Special Operations Command, US Border Patrol and the US Department of Energy.