When GM bought the rights to AM General's "Hummer" name, it may have bought the inside line to a giant military contract. Privately, full-size truck engineers at GM say the Hummer H2 styling exercise the company showed at the North American International Auto Show in January may replace the current Hummer as the U.S. Army's primary tactical vehicle.

Recently, the Army announced a program called COMBATT, which stands for commercially based tactical truck, with an objective to create a low cost, better performing military vehicle. DaimlerChrysler, Ford and AM General all participate in the program, but the safe money for volume is on the latter.

Adding fuel to the rumor is the fact that GM announced it is building a new Hummer H2 manufacturing facility in Mishawaka, Indiana--home of AM General.

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