UK Light Mobility Vehicle ~ Pipeline Notice

A British Army Land Rover Defender deploying on STEADFAST DART, Marchwood Port, January 2025 [© Bob Morrison]

The ongoing saga of the UK MoD Light Mobility Vehicle Tender inched forward last month with the publication of a UK1 Pipeline Notice, writes Bob Morrison.

The UK Ministry of Defence, as previously discussed, has a requirement a Light Mobility Vehicle (LMV) as part of the Land Mobility Programme (LMP) including “delivery of a wheeled utility platform to modernise capability in roles currently filled by Land Rover and Pinzgauer with a Common Based Platform delivering warfighting roles across the Joint Force”.

Under the Procurement Act 2023 (introduced by the Sunak Government to overhaul public procurement law in the UK by simplifying processes and giving a greater share of public sector supply opportunities to small businesses) for new procurements over £2 million starting 24 February 2025 or later, a UK1 Pipeline Notice needed to be published about potential future contracts and dynamic markets if a UK4 Tender Notice or UK5 Transparency Notice was due to be published in the 18 months starting 1 April 2025.

A British Army Pinzgauer deployed on Operation CABRIT, May 2021 [© Bob Morrison]

On Thursday 22 May (26 May was Bank Holiday Monday across the UK) the MoD DE&S (Defence Equipment & Support) department at Abbey Wood (Bristol) issued UK1 Pipeline Notice No. 2025/S 000-024621 ‘Supply of Light Mobility Vehicle’. In this notice the estimated date of a Tender Notice is advised as being 1 December 2025, the estimated Contract Dates are given as 1 May 2027 to 30 April 2033 and the estimated Total Value is given as being £750 million excl. VAT.

There is, of course, no guarantee that the tender process to replace the UK Armed Forces long-serving Land Rover Defender and ATL Pinzgauer fleets will actually bear fruit this time. However sand in the hourglass is fast running out and spare parts to keep both fleets of vehicles (which are no longer in production) on the road are becoming even harder and more expensive to source, so hopefully somebody with influence will ensure the sloth doesn’t return to its slumbers.