Babcock and Supacat Team Up for British Army’s Next Light Mobility Vehicle

Babcock and Supacat Team Up for British Army’s Next Light Mobility Vehicle

Image: Babcock

Babcock has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with British defence SME Supacat to jointly pursue the Light Mobility Vehicle (LMV) competition, aiming to replace the British Army’s outgoing Land Rover fleet, as per a recent press statement.

The agreement builds on the two firms’ longstanding partnership, which recently delivered the Jackal 3 programme. Babcock and Supacat will now combine their engineering experience to design a sovereign vehicle solution underpinned by a “Best of British” supply chain.

Babcock has already developed its General Logistics Vehicle (GLV) family for the LMV programme. The range uses the proven Toyota Land Cruiser LC70 platform and includes Medium Wheelbase, Long Wheelbase and Utility variants. The new MoU will let both companies explore how their complementary skills can strengthen this offering, supporting Babcock’s wider commitment to SME collaboration under its SME Engagement Charter.

Louise Atkinson, Chief Executive of Babcock’s Land and Mission Systems sector, commented: “The British Army needs a practical, safe and innovative light mobility vehicle that can deliver dependable capability wherever it is deployed.” She added that the GLV “combines operational effectiveness with affordability, supportability and a strong UK supply chain,” and said the partnership would “strengthen sovereign capability, sustain highly skilled jobs and reinforce the UK’s defence industrial base.”

Phil Applegarth, Director and Head of Supacat, commented: “Our relationship with Babcock has been enduring over several decades.” He added that the Jackal 3 collaboration demonstrated how strong industry partnerships support the UK’s Defence Industrial Strategy, and said Supacat looks forward to contributing its vehicle design and manufacturing expertise to the LMV programme.

The LMV competition forms part of the British Army’s broader effort to modernise its light vehicle fleet with sovereign, UK-built capability.

Learn more on Babcock’s website

Newsletter Sign up

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.