► Ready for duty: Ford, General Dynammics Land Systems and Ricardo join forces to develop next-generation mobility for the UK military

•     The Team combines expertise of Ford Motor Company, General Dynamics Land Systems and Ricardo, to compete for the UK Ministry of Defence’s Light Mobility Vehicle programme
•     The companies will leverage Ford Ranger, the undisputed truck leader in Europe, to deliver a commercially scalable and flexible military-grade vehicle platform
•     Together the companies employ 7,000+ people across their UK facilities – including engine production at Dagenham, advanced engineering at Dunton and in South Wales – and support thousands more through local supply chains, with a proposal built to sustain skilled UK jobs and homegrown engineering expertise

LONDON, UK – 2nd September 2026 – As the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) prioritises fleet modernisation and operational resilience across the armed forces, Ford, General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) and Ricardo, today confirmed they have joined forces to compete for the UK MoD’s LMV programme.

The Team is offering a commercial derivative vehicle based on the Ford Ranger, Europe’s undisputed leader in the truck segment. The Team’s solution combines military-grade capability with the cost, scale and supply chain resilience of a proven commercial platform, factory-ready to meet the stringent requirements of modern military operations.

The proposal is rooted in Ford’s long-standing UK industrial capability. With more than 6,000 UK-based employees, Ford delivers advanced engineering at Dunton and engine production at Dagenham, where Ranger’s 3.0 litre V6 engine is manufactured. This is helping to ensure the programme draws on established domestic expertise, manufacturing capability and through-life support infrastructure.

For over a century, Ford has stood alongside the UK in times of national need — from producing vital engines to power the Allied effort in WWII, to leading the UK automotive consortium that rapidly manufactured medical ventilators at its Dagenham plant during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today, as the MoD looks to replace its fleet, Ford is once again stepping forward, this time alongside GDLS and Ricardo, to help secure the nation’s operational readiness. The bid will also build on the vital role of GDLS’s facilities in Merthyr Tydfil and Oakdale, South Wales, where commercial platforms will  be converted, integrated and supported as mission-ready vehicles for the British Army, creating long-term economic benefits for the region and across the UK.

Jim Baumbick, President, Ford Europe said:

“The UK Ministry of Defence requires uncompromised capability, scale, and absolute reliability from day one. Our commercial off-the-shelf Ford Ranger platform does just this.

By marrying the most trusted and dominant truck platform in Europe, powered by an engine built in Dagenham, and the integration expertise of GDLS and Ricardo, we are able to offer an immediate, scalable, and UK-supported mobility platform.

Our team will give UK troops what they need to manoeuvre and win, while delivering, supply chain resilience and reinforcing the UK strategic industrial base.

From the Second World War to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ford has always stood alongside the UK in times of need – we are answering the call to duty again today.”

Proven Platform Built for Uncompromised Readiness

Ford is a leading manufacturer of commercial vehicles in Europe, holding more than forty percent of the pick-up truck market. Serving military customers aligns with Ford’s commitment to building trucks made for the toughest jobs, while also supporting the company’s strategy to grow its leadership in the commercial vehicle market. 

The offer to the MoD is built on the 5-Star NCAP-rated Ford Ranger and Ranger Super Duty — commercial platforms already proven in the world’s most demanding environments. With integrated technology from GDLS and Ricardo the companies are able to offer a best-in-class commercial, off-the-shelf platform that meets modern military requirements for payload, mobility and through-life support.

Ranger has been Europe’s top-selling pickup for 11 years, delivering a 1-tonne payload and up to 3.5-tonne towing capacity. The Ranger Super Duty version goes further — extending to just under a 2-tonne payload, 8-tonne gross train mass and up to 4.5-tonne towing capacity. Together, they give the MoD a flexible and scalable vehicle platform, ready from the factory, that covers both light-duty and heavy-duty jobs.

A Partnership Built on Complementary Strengths

Under the arrangement, Ford will provide the base platform, along with upfitting integration and aftersales support. By basing the solution on a proven, industry-leading platform with a pre-existing supply chain, the MoD can reduce development costs and time, while also benefitting from a world-class solution capable of scaling in high volume during times of conflict. Ranger’s manufacturing footprint and established European supply chain mean production volume can flex to meet fleet requirements, bypassing extensive lead times. GDLS and Ricardo’s specialist integration and upfitting facilities in the UK can quickly convert that scale into mission-ready capability.

GDLS will serve as prime contractor, leading specialist defence systems integration and militarised conversion in their facilities in South Wales, while Ricardo will act as engineering partner, supporting the upfitting design to meet the British Army’s operational requirements.

Scott Milne, Vice-President and General Manager, General Dynamics Land Systems-UK said: “We are delighted to announce this partnership between Ford, Ricardo and GDLS, combining automotive scale, world-class engineering and trusted defence integration to support the British Army’s future mobility needs. Built on GDLS and Ricardo’s 15-plus years of collaboration and Ford’s century of UK manufacturing investment, this partnership offers a low-risk, capable solution ready today and supportable for decades. Beyond vehicles, it strengthens UK sovereign capability, creates skilled jobs, and keeps Wales at the forefront of Britain’s defence industrial base—while also laying the groundwork for future export opportunities and long-term growth for British industry.”

Jason Oms-O’Donnell, CEO of Ricardo, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Ford and General Dynamics to develop innovative, adaptive solutions for military vehicle applications. Ricardo has over 100 years’ experience in design, engineering and integration of advanced propulsion systems and remains at the forefront of supporting our customers in the UK and globally, with flexible, efficient and world leading solutions. We look forward working with our partners on these advanced, adaptive applications to protect those who protect us.”

Built for Uptime and the Long Haul

A vehicle is only as capable as the network and services that keep it moving. For vehicles operating in the UK, Ford’s established UK service footprint, including its nationwide network of 171 dealers, 405 authorised repair sites, 120 Mobile Service vans, parts availability and fleet uptime expertise can help provide the British Army with responsive, localised through-life support and maximum operational readiness. For vehicles deployed beyond the UK, Ford’s European and global footprint of over 3,800 authorised repairers and 487 mobile service vans in Europe provides further resilience, helping support parts supply, servicing and production continuity across multiple regions.

Ford’s global manufacturing and parts network also help mitigate disruption: if production or supply is constrained in one location, the scale of the wider Ford system provides options to maintain continuity of vehicle and parts supply.

Securing the UK Industrial Base

The Team directly leverages the UK’s skilled engineering and technical base. Ford’s UK footprint(including advanced engineering at Dunton, engine production at Dagenham, e-drive production at Halewood, and parts distribution in Daventry) combined with GDLS’s and Ricardo’s UK integration facilities, ensure that the MoD’s investment not only secures modern mobility for the Armed Forces, but also strengthens high-value UK engineering and manufacturing for years to come.