18 Feb 09. Renault Trucks Defense and Land Rover announced at IDEX that they are working together to bid for UK Ministry of Defence contract work to supply military support vehicles. The cooperation between the two companies will be based on selected vehicles from the SHERPA tactical vehicle range of Renault Trucks Defense. The vehicles will be assembled by Land Rover in the UK.
Renault Trucks Defense has already been down selected for the Operational Utility Vehicle System competition in the UK and the SHERPA 4*4 offered by Renault Trucks Defense for this competition will now be jointly offered to the UK Ministry of Defence with Land Rover. Other opportunities for vehicles from the SHERPA range to be considered subject to ongoing requirements of the UK Ministry of Defence, including the newly released LPPV Requirement.
The partnership between the two world class companies offers the UK MoD the benefits of modern vehicles designed for current and future operations. This partnership builds upon the long standing relationship that Land Rover has with the UK MoD.
In a joint statement, Serge Perez, Senior Vice President of Renault Trucks Defense and John Stretton, Director Global Government and Direct Sales Landrover, Land Rover said “According to the letter of intent between Renault Trucks Defense and Land Rover to work together offers the UK Ministry of Defence the combination of the outstanding technical design, proven performance and reliability of the SHERPA 4*4 with the unparalleled experience of Land Rover gained from serving the needs of the British Armed Forces for many years. The SHERPA 4*4 is an established European Utility Vehicle with the ability to both carry the level of armour protection demanded by current theatre of operations and with outstanding growth potential to meet future requirements.”
John Stretton told BATTLESPACE at IDEX that Land Rover would not only provide the vital manufacture and support solutions for the bid but that the Company, in association with Ricardo Plc. Would provide vital engineering and technical assistance for the U.K. MoD’s Requirements.
Also present on the Land Rover Stand was the excellent Discovery Armoured variant and the new militarised Defender which has a fully suppressed 24V system and the new Puma multi-fuel engine.
“The MoD is conducting trials on Salisbury Plain with this vehicle which we hope will go into the MoD inventory for Barrack duties allowing the existing Wolf vehicles to be upgraded to WMIK standard.”
Land Rover also showed a 130” vehicle with full tilt for the Senegalese Army.