The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is seeking industry responses to the potential acquisition of more than 1,000 4x4 and all-terrain vehicles under the Light Tactical Mobility Platform (LTMP) Medium and LTMP Light programme.
According to details contained in two separate pre-qualification questionnaires (PQQ), the LTMP Medium would seek a 4x4 solution, while the LTMP Light would require an ATV-like capability.
The LTMP Medium deal could be worth up to £80.9m ($102.8m), with the Light variant amounting to £10.4m. Closing date for submissions was listed as 25 September.
The LTMP Medium contract would see the procurement of up to 48 so-called Utility Terrain Vehicles (UTV), with potential options within the contract for a maximum of 863 UTVs inclusive of initial procurement.
Desired specifications require the UTVs to be able to accommodate a driver and passenger side-by-side, with a minimum speed of 65kph on the road when towing the platform’s maximum load, while the minimum payload capacity, including personnel, equipment, and stores, would be in excess of 600kg.
An initial support period will be for five years with the option to extend for a further five years in one-year increments. Any chosen supplier would have to provide two sample vehicles plus trailers to use during a trialling period, which would run from February – April 2024.
Similarly, the LTMP Light PQQ calls for the potential supply of up to 156 Light UTVs, with potential options within the contract to reach a maximum of 311 platforms, inclusive of initial procurement.
The LTMP Light platform would need to have a minimum ground clearance of 180mm when fully laden, achieve a minimum speed of 40kph on road when towing a weight of 450kg, and have a minimum payload capacity of 270kg.
The initial support period will be for five years with the option to extend for a further five years in one-year iterations. Two sample platforms would also have to be made available by a potential bidder for the trial date in order to be deemed compliant.
Taking each potential contract to include the maximum number of options, an individual LTMP Medium platform would cost approximately £94,000, while a single Light UTV would cost around £33,000.
Is LTMP the replacement for Ukraine donations and equipment disposals?
According to an April MoD acquisition pipeline, requirements for a ‘Low Technology Mobility Platform’ Light and Medium was listed under ‘New Requirement’ and had an estimated tender issuance date of 1 October and 1 August respectively. The estimated contract issuance date for the Light programme was listed as 1 January 2025, with the Medium variant being 1 September 2024.
Although determining the exact nature of the platform is difficult according to the details contained in the PQQs, it is possible that the LTMP programme could replace much of the British Army’s tactical mobility and logistics platforms, centred around, among other platforms, the Pinzgauer and Land Rover 4x4 vehicles.
According to UK-German joint venture RBSL, the Pinzgauer all-terrain utility vehicle is available in both 4x4 and 6x6 wheel configurations, and typically utilised in roles such as command and control, liaison, special forces, evacuation, and administrative tasks.
The Land Rover has been ubiquitous in British Army service for decades, across the entire spectrum of roles. Its unsuitability for high tempo conflict seen in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, where its lack of protection offered to crews was highly criticised, saw it replaced on the frontline by more survivable platforms such as the High Mobility Transporter 4x4 and 6x6 variants, produced by Supacat.
It was reported in November 2022 by Army Technology that the UK MoD had sold off 22 Pinzgauer Truck Utility Medium – Heavy Duty, and 132 Land Rover vehicles across a range of variants through the calendar year. Around 300 trailers had similarly been sold at auction or scrapped.
The UK has provided huge quantities of equipment to Ukraine in support of Kyiv’s war against Russia, including main battle tanks, artillery, armoured personnel carriers, and logistic vehicles. As of November last year it had also given 36 L119 105mm artillery guns to Ukraine, which in British Army service is towed by the Pinzgauer utility vehicle.
