The Devon vehicle builder Supacat has been shortlisted for the trials stage of the competition to replace the British Army’s Land Rover fleet, working in support of Babcock International, the company stated.
The Light Mobility Vehicle programme will provide a modern light vehicle in several variants to take over from a fleet that has served since the 1990s, and forms part of the wider Land Mobility Programme. Supacat puts the competition at around £2 billion before VAT, potentially covering more than 9,500 vehicles, which makes it one of the largest land equipment buys the Army has run in years.
Babcock’s entry is the General Logistics Vehicle, a family based on the Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series and offered in medium wheelbase, long wheelbase and utility versions. The two firms signed a memorandum of understanding earlier this year to work together on the bid, and have committed to delivering a sovereign capability underpinned by a British supply chain.
Phil Applegarth, director and head of Supacat, said: “We are delighted to be through to the trials stage in support of Babcock. The Land Rover has been the Army’s workhorse for generations and replacing it is a serious responsibility.”
Nick Ames, chief executive of SC Group, said: “This is very welcome news for Supacat and for our workforce and suppliers in Devon and across the UK. The LMV programme is an opportunity to build the Army’s next light vehicle in Britain, with a British supply chain, in line with the Defence Industrial Strategy.”
The partnership follows work the two companies did together on the Jackal 3 programme, and Supacat says it has delivered more than a thousand vehicles into service around the world over four decades.
Another bidder claiming a foreign built vehicle is somehow British because they slapped a Union Jack sticker on it.
I get your point, but anything based on a Land Cruiser is almost indestructable
Yes, it’s the standard 1980’s Lorre Landrcruiser good Land Rover bad.
Defender from JLR just won the Dacar rally, try that in a Land Cruiser and you won’t get very far.
Land Cruiser is an incredibly outdated design.
Hi Jim, I confess I’m not up to speed in this vehicle segment, but I thought the Land Cruiser just got updated?
While I appreciate that the Dakar is one hell of a race, they also have some of the best “pit crews” around and a lot of spares, unless I’m mistaken. I wouldn’t dream of knocking the lads in REME and other outfits who’ll be maintaining these vehicles, but I would observe that the British Army likes to run lean in terms of spares… JLR does not have the best rep with their civilian vehicles, I worry that we’ll end up with a very expensive to maintain fleet with low availability…
Happy to be proven wrong, of course. But I’ve got several mates with 2020s JLRs of all shapes and sizes, and they all have mechanical/electrical issues to one extent or another.
I also have several friends with jlr products and not all have issues, I have a friend with a Toyota Corolla which has been nothing but a pain, another with a Grenadier off the road for two months waiting on spares, a friend with a Ford Ranger whose engine blew as do thousands with the similar engine in a Transit, familiar theme here? I have a Defender which has been totally trouble free, First off Wolf2 is still in the running and has a reliable 6 cylinder engine proven by the likes of the JD Power survey in the states where it has proven a very reliable power plant,yes the 4cyl not so much but it’s not in the frame for this vehicle, electrics have been simplified and all stored in a metal box between the front seats and are self diagnostic, jlr have made serious changes to the vehicle and it’s a fabulous vehicle on and off road and is prooving to be reliable in 6 cyl form, oh regarding the desert race or rally, Mercedes and Toyota were also in the race and have been year on year
We must promote and be seen to be buying our own products, Land Rover Wolf2 is one of them, designed here, engine and other main components built here, modifications and final assembly here, it is a UK vehicle and not a sticker exercise like the rest, it’s also the best vehicle too….
A vehicle built here, by a firm headquartered in India, or a vehicle built here by firms headquartered in the UK, but based on a Japanese truck.
JLR is only theoretically British at this point, the current CEO is the Indian CFO of Tata Motors. A JLR option can hardly be called “sovereign”, therefore.
Not an area I’m up to speed on. What would be your choice?
And is LMV:
1.A niche critical capabilty that must be soveriegn at all costs.
2.A jobs creation exercise.
3.Other.
4. Here’s a novel idea…..have the military themselves said what they want? Before a politician comes along and sticks Union Jacks on everything.
I’d like a vehicle that’s rugged, cost effective, reliable, and whose price enables the numbers to be bought that are needed.
But of course if the priority is UK build then just another example of industry and jobs being the primary driver, the military is merely the low priority customer.
I support many critical areas of combat capability being sovereign as much as possible, from air to sea to land and the vital radar, systems, missiles, and ISTAR tech. Nuclear, AUKUS, GCAP of course top of all that, already leaving conventional forces skint
Does a LR replacement need to be? Can it not be built here under licence so we employ people but it’s not totally sovereign?
Hi Daniele, you know me, I have a buy British first policy. But you’re right, we’re best focussed on the expensive, high end stuff that ensure high paid skilled jobs in the long term and has export potential.
Frankly, I don’t see the LMV in that bracket.
If the Defender genuinely comes out on top as best value, and is more reliable than their civvie vehicles, then so much the better. But I’ll be happy with a Land Cruiser too, especially if it means there might be a few extra ones coming into the market for us out of uniform too…!
Hi mate. Thanks. I drive cars, but don’t know anything about them really, or SUV types.
Just buy the most cost effective one, this isn’t groundbreaking for Defence, we need several thousand of them.
No doubt some politician will be along grandstanding at how critical it all is for Defence. My mind sees this, maybe wrongly, like how I saw our purchase of the Tide Tankers from Korea. Good price, and sooner than if we’d built them here.
For me, military need never has enough emphasis in the equation.
Which one is even the “most British”?
I did used to be really into cars, but now not so much- too many other things to be doing…!
I agree, military need has to be the big player- I just often think that the way the costing/decision making exercise is structured has historically favoured foreign bids, without accounting for the full benefit of sovereign offer.
Not surprised that JLR are not in the running anymore.
Their Ingenium diesel engine suffers from severe reliability issues—including timing chain wear, oil dilution, and bearing failures
It’s done a lot of damage to their reputation
I’m sure I saw that the JLR defenders still had loads of electrics in them and to go to dealers for servicing🤔
What ever they pick, just test the damn things properly. Bye bye Bedford’s, and hello bendy Daf’s. Trailers issued defective with reverse polarity in the electrics, popping fuses as soon as you switched the lights on. And looking at the discussions of what’s coming down the pike they best have plenty of reserve electrical power.
Great for Supacat, great for Devon. Fingers crossed for the RIGHT vehicle, we hope.
This is exactly kind of thing that should be going to a British company and start a British car manufacturing company going with exports. It’s low risk just a run around for soldiers so should going to bespoke British designs with the future looking at commercial sales.
A vehicle built here, by a firm headquartered in India, or a vehicle built here by firms headquartered in the UK, but based on a Japanese truck.
JLR is only theoretically British at this point, the current CEO is the Indian CFO of Tata Motors. A JLR option can hardly be called “sovereign”, therefore.
The JLR Defender Wolf Series II was designed and engineered in the United Kingdom. Its engine is built in Wolverhampton, England. That makes it British, with a British heart, soul and heritage and it will made in Britain. Couldn’t care less about the Tata ownership, totally irrelevant. Man does not live by bread alone.