Ineos Grenadier to Bid Against JLR and BAE-Led Consortia for MoD Contract to Replace Army Land Rovers

Ineos Grenadier has engaged with the Ministry of Defence to offer its 4x4 vehicle for a contract to replace the British armed services' fleet of 5,000 old Land Rovers currently in commission. The Times reported on May 13 2026 that Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the billionaire founder of Ineos Grenadier, is to formally enter the race for the multibillion-pound deal.

Ineos Grenadier is to make a formal announcement soon after May 13 2026 as the tender for the new 4x4 vehicles gets underway shortly after that date.

The deadline for initial bids is Monday following May 13 2026. The initial tender is for 3,000 vehicles worth £900 million including engineering support. The MoD wants a fleet of 7,000 vehicles in time, with the first new vehicles expected to be in the hands of soldiers by 2030.

The MoD announced the retirement of the armed forces’ Land Rover fleet in March 2026. The Land Rover has been used by the British military for more than 70 years. The announcement stated it marked the end of an era for the vehicle that has been a cornerstone of military operations.

Jaguar Land Rover has confirmed it is bidding for the MoD contract with a military version of its new Defender. ” BAE Systems has teamed with General Motors to bid on the contract. BAE’s joint venture is codenamed Team LionStrike.

It will use GM’s US-manufactured Infantry Squad Vehicle with UK engineering services based in Leamington Spa and Silverstone. Supacat has worked with Babcock on producing armoured versions of the Toyota Hilux pick-up truck. Supacat’s vehicle would fit out Toyota vehicles manufactured overseas with a bespoke chassis and combat cell.

Babcock and Supacat were previously contracted to supply the Jackal high-mobility transporter to the British Army. The tender does not specify that the original vehicles must be manufactured in Britain. The Ineos Grenadier is built in a factory on the French–German border.

The Defender is built by JLR in Slovakia. ” He said the Grenadier’s local supply lines make it ideal for deployment in European countries for sovereign defence and operations in the UK and on the continent. Whittington said demand from forces includes elite counter-terrorism and special operations units in Germany and France, as well as border forces in Germany, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, Hungary and Spain.