Ineos Automotive has formed a new consortium with SMT Defence and NMS UK to bid for the UK Ministry of Defence’s major vehicle fleet upgrade.

The Team Grenadier partnership positions the rugged Grenadier 4×4 as a potential new foundation for British military vehicles under the Light Mobility Vehicle programme.

The consortium aims to swap out the British Army’s legacy utility vehicles for the newly unveiled Grenadier Multi-Role Light Vehicle (MRLV).

The project highlights the modularity benefits of the Grenadier’s ladder-frame chassis, permanent four-wheel drive, beam axles and high payload capacity as a “robust baseline” for military adaptation across multiple roles and operating environments.

The collaboration with military vehicle conversion specialists SMT Defence and NMS UK brings together British design, engineering and second-stage manufacturing.

SMT Defence offers specialist expertise in the design, integration and delivery of bespoke and mission-critical vehicles for elite and specialist military users. Its experience in modular architecture, high-payload configurations and survivability-driven design enables rapid adaptation of the platform to meet and exceed MoD operational requirements.

NMS UK underpins the collaboration with established UK-based military vehicle production, integration and in-life support. Its global reputation in Armoured and Protected platform development, quality and fleet assurance ensures the programme can be delivered at scale, on time and with long-term resilience – directly supporting UK defence objectives and domestic industry.

Mike Whittington, chief commercial officer at Ineos Automotive, said: “A defining advantage of the industrial collaboration is its British ownership, onshore assembly and local supply chain. It brings strategic benefits in operational independence and resilience with security and regulatory alignment – delivering on the MoD’s core objectives. Grenadier’s unrivalled capability and inherent strength provide an obvious starting point for mission-critical transport.”

The Grenadier Multi-Role Light Vehicle (MRLV) is one of nine modular LMV applications, each underpinned by the Grenadier’s strong ladder frame and heavy-duty axles. The rugged, heavy-duty 4×4 off-road vehicle is already used by fire, police, and rescue services around the world.