The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has issued a Request for Information (RfI) for a Light Mobility Vehicle (LMV) platform, itself part of the wider Land Mobility Programme (LMP) being undertaken by the British Army in a bid to consolidate disparate vehicle fleet designs.
Published on 10 January 2025, the MoD stated a requirement for the production, supply, support, and training for an LMV solution, which would “explore multiple options” including the possible delivery of a wheeled utility platform to modernise capability in roles currently filled by Land Rover and Pinzgauer with a “Common Based Platform”.
As part of the process, the MoD has invited industry to participate in a Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) exercise in support of the development of its acquisition strategy, looking at areas such as the potential for an Off the Shelf (OTS) solution, and through life costs of ownership.
Despite the age of the UK military’s light vehicle fleet, with platforms such as the Land Rover and Pinzgauer many decades old, progress to find replacement options has been slow.
As reported in 2024, the British Army is still to formally define the scope of the wider LMP, with the MoD not due to complete the formal change request until February 2025 ahead of an outline business case at some point between March-October the same year.
The programme does not include acquisitions being sought under the Light Tactical Mobility Platform (LTMP) Medium and LTMP Light programme, through which the MoD is currently seeking industry responses to the potential purchase of more than 1,000 4×4 and all-terrain vehicles, valued at a combined total of £91.3m.
What LMV prospects for UK industry?
The prospect of an OTS solution for the LMV programme points towards a desire to expedite the procurement process, although the approach could see the acquisition of a non-UK design that involves little to no domestic participation.
However, the new UK government has stated a preference towards local manufacture and participation, offering a degree of promise for the country’s commercial and military vehicle suppliers.
In late-2024, UK defence vehicle prime Supacat unveiled its tactical Light Mobility Vehicle, intended for use by light role and very-high readiness forces, aimed towards operations with 3 Command Brigade of the Royal Marines or the British Army’s Ranger regiment for any UK requirement.
The LMV combines Toyota automotive components with a bespoke chassis and a ‘Combat Cell’ shell and is available in 4×4 or 6×6 configurations.
The Combat Cell, developed by Armoured Car Systems in Bavaria, Germany, is configurable depending on mission requirements, and features a crew served main weapon such as a general-purpose machine gun (GPMG) mounted on a 360° slewing ring and commander’s GPMG on a dash mounted swing arm.
