Ford is pitching a militarized six-wheel-drive version of its Ranger Super Duty pickup for a major British Army vehicle contract, teaming up with General Dynamics Land Systems-UK and engineering firm Ricardo to build it. The three companies announced their partnership on September 2, 2026, to compete for the UK Ministry of Defence’s Light Mobility Vehicle programme, part of the British Army’s broader Land Mobility Programme, according to Ricardo’s own announcement.
Off-the-shelf truck, military-grade upgrades
The bid is built around the commercial Ford Ranger and Ranger Super Duty, offered in both 4×4 and 6×6 configurations. The six-wheel conversion, known as the HEX 6×6, was originally developed by Ricardo and first shown in 2023. It adds a third axle using a bolt-on overlay system that does not require altering the base vehicle’s chassis, and it uses a De Dion rear suspension that can decouple the added axle when it is not needed, per Ford Authority’s reporting.
The Ranger Super Duty chassis cab that underpins the bid carries a gross train mass of eight tonnes, up to 4.5 tonnes of towing capacity, and a payload rated near two tonnes, according to Ricardo’s press release. Ford Authority reports the companies are pitching eight distinct variants built off the same platform: a general purpose vehicle, troop carrier, equipment support vehicle, enhanced protection vehicle, utility vehicle, battlefield ambulance, mission systems vehicle, and light tactical vehicle. Demonstrator trucks were shown publicly at the DSEI defence exhibition in 2025.
A UK jobs pitch, too
Ford, GDLS-UK, and Ricardo are leaning on domestic manufacturing as part of the sales pitch, citing more than 7,000 combined UK employees, Ford’s engine plant in Dagenham, its engineering center in Dunton, and its e-drive facility in Halewood, alongside GDLS’s South Wales sites in Merthyr Tydfil and Oakdale. “Our team will give UK troops what they need to manoeuvre and win, while delivering supply chain resilience,” Ford Europe president Jim Baumbick said in the companies’ joint announcement. GDLS-UK vice president and general manager Scott Milne struck a similar note, describing the offering as “a low-risk, capable solution ready today and supportable for decades.” The three companies have framed the bid as aligned with the UK government’s Land Industrial Strategy, which pushes for defence spending to support domestic jobs and supply chains.
Ricardo chief executive Jason Oms-O’Donnell said the company was “delighted to be partnering with Ford and General Dynamics to develop innovative, adaptive solutions for military vehicle applications.” A contract award timeline has not been disclosed, and the Ministry of Defence has not named a winner for the Light Mobility Vehicle programme.