The M1161 Growler is known officially as the Internally Transportable Light Strike Vehicle (ITV-LSV), which doesn’t sound nearly as mean as Growler. It was designed specifically for use with the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft, and as such, designed to fit inside its cargo bay. Built to fulfill the roles of light utility, light strike and fast attack vehicle, the Growler is smaller than most other vehicles in the same role, a function of having to fit inside the V-22. It is one of two such vehicles (the M1163 being the other) certified to fly with the V-22.

History

Development of the Growler began in 1999 when the Marine Corps sought a vehicle that could be transported in a V-22 Osprey. 

On November 10, 2004, the Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC) awarded indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract M67854-05-D-6014 with firm-fixed-price and cost-plus-award-fee contract line-item numbers for a base year and up to six option years to General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GDOTS) for $12,057,159 for procurement of 66 EFSSs and up to 650 ITVs. The MCSC selected GDOTS over two other offerors.

Though the initial design used elements and parts from the drivetrain of the M151 which it was intended to replace, the final design featured entirely new parts and systems to allow it to fulfill its mission, including allowing it to fit within the confines of a V-22's cargo bay. No major components from the M151 design are used in the manufacture of the M1161 or M1163 variant. Initial engineering of the M1161 is most closely related to American Growler's commercial UV 100 DB off-road vehicle. 

Manufacture of the Growler variants was later transferred to General Dynamics facilities but are otherwise identical.