Ford participated in the bid for one of the largest open military vehicle contracts in the United Kingdom. In partnership with General Dynamics Land Systems UK and engineering consultancy Ricardo, the automaker presented militarized versions of the Ranger, including a six-wheel variant, for the British Ministry of Defence's Light Mobility Vehicle (LMV) programme.
This tender aims to acquire approximately 2,500 light utility vehicles, with the goal of replacing current fleets of Land Rover Defenders and Steyr-Puch Pinzgauers by 2030. The initiative is valued at an estimated £4.8 billion, which is equivalent to about 33 billion Brazilian reais. The Ranger is competing against the Land Rover Defender Wolf Series II, as well as proposals from General Motors and Ineos.
The consortium demonstrated two prototypes. One is a four-wheel pickup based on the Wildtrak version, equipped with a tubular bumper, bed rack, and camouflage paint. The second, more advanced prototype, has a body similar to the XLT configuration but uses the Ranger Super Duty chassis developed in Australia. Although the adaptation to six wheels is not new—Ricardo and Ford already displayed a model in 2023—General Dynamics' participation in this group is a novelty.
The powertrain features a 3.0L V6 turbodiesel engine producing 209 hp and 61.2 kgfm, coupled with a hybrid system. According to data previously provided by Ricardo, an electric motor positioned at the rear adds 286 hp in the 6x6 and 6x4 configurations.
For field use, the vehicle was prepared with steel underbody armor, reinforced transfer case, front and rear differential locks, and a long-travel suspension. This suspension increases the ground clearance to almost 30 cm, allowing it to traverse flooded sections up to 85 cm deep. Its specifications include a towing capacity of 4,500 kg, a payload of 1,982 kg, and a gross combined weight of 8,000 kg. Internally, a tactical mission software operates on the standard 12-inch multimedia center.
The evaluations conducted by the Ministry of Defence are scheduled to take place between October 2026 and January 2027, according to information from the Defense Blog. General Dynamics argues that its proposal is scalable and low-cost, meeting the demands of the British Army and opening export opportunities, although these points still await the results of official tests.
The text makes a comparison with the Brazilian experience, where the Armed Forces also decommissioned Land Rover Defenders and Toyota Bandeirantes, standardizing the light fleet around the Agrale Marruá, adopted in 2005 and still in operation. The main distinction lies in the fact that the Brazilian project originated militarily, while the British are evaluating the adaptation of civilian line pickups.