It was the winner of the Guardian Angel Air-Deployable Rescue Vehicle (GAARV) competition awarded by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC).
The SRTV was included in the Air National Guard's (ANG) FY09 Weapons Systems Modernization Requirements documents specifically for Guardian Angel use.
BCC worked with the ANG on Airdrop and multiple MDS (aircraft type) ITV certifications while awaiting the Air Combat Command (ACC) GAARV Solicitation process.
[1] In February 2012, the Aeronautical Systems Center (ASC) solicited proposals for a Guardian Angel Air Rescue Vehicle (GAARV).
The purpose was to acquire an asset for air-deployable, surface rescue platform capable of maneuvering over adverse terrain in order to search for and recover Isolated Personnel (IP) and/or equipment, while also providing the capability of transporting the rescue team and the IP from an area of high threat to a defendable location for recovery by aircraft or self recovery to the final destination.
It addressed the requirements of the Air Force National Guard (ANG) Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) units, and Special Operations Command (AFSOC).
[4] A team is composed of Combat Rescue Officer (CRO), Pararescue (PJ), and Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) careerfields.
Tests were scheduled to commence in March 2014 and will validate the vehicle's suitability and effectiveness for the Guardian Angel (GA) weapon system.
The new vehicle enables the team to be dropped off well outside the range of the enemy's anti-aircraft weapons to infiltrate, exfiltrate, and recover downed aircrew and personnel.
[5] The SRTV is constructed of MIL-STD aircraft tubing, minimizing weight, maximizing strength, and providing a skeletal base for multiple types of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) ballistic and blast armoring.
[11] The Storm SRTV makes appearances in the 2013 multiplayer action-adventure game Grand Theft Auto Online as "Barrage" and the 2021 first-person-shooter Battlefield 2042 as a "LATV4 Recon" light attack vehicle, and in the Roblox tactical shooter game Blackhawk Rescue Mission 5 in the Airborne Reconnaissance downloadable content package as the SRTV.