Update: British Army's Land Mobility Programme loses medium category

A convoy of British Army vehicles including a Pinzgauer and Land Rovers seen in Romania during NATO Exercise ‘Steadfast Dart' in February 2025. (MoD/Crown Copyright)

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed to Janes on 14 January that it has revised its Land Mobility Programme (LMP) for ground vehicle procurement, saying it has introduced a Heavy Protected Mobility (HPM) segment. This replaces the LMP's original Medium Protected Mobility (MPM) requirement, the MoD said.

The LMP is the latest MoD initiative aimed at replacing several vehicle types and subtypes that are approaching their out‑of‑service dates (OSDs) and facing potential obsolescence‑driven issues. It forms part of a broader ambition to modernise the British Army's warfighting capability. The LMP's Light Mobility Vehicle (LMV) and Light Protected Mobility (LPM) categories remain within the scope of the programme.

The LMP follows earlier efforts, most recently the Multi‑Role Vehicle - Protected (MRV‑P) programme, to replace vehicles in multiple fleets ranging from lighter utility vehicles such as the Land Rover and Pinzgauer to heavier tracked platforms such as the FV430 series.

Heavy protected mobility

The HPM category introduces a requirement for a platform with a gross vehicle weight (GVW) of between 20 and 30 tonnes, said the MoD.

In a parliamentary answer on 8 January 2026, the UK's Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard, said, “The long-term replacement for the FV430 series Bulldog is being considered as part of the Heavy Protected Mobility sub-programme, within the Land Mobility Programme. The Heavy Protected Mobility sub-programme is in its Concept Phase and is currently evaluating the Finnish-led Common Armoured Vehicles System [CAVS] programme's suitability in meeting UK's Heavy Protected Mobility requirements. The programme is being considered and is part of the Defence Investment Plan.”