JLR pursues NATO defence deals as it bids for £900m UK vehicle tender

Jaguar Land Rover is in talks with NATO countries to sell its Defender Wolf Series II military vehicle, as European members increase defence spending and the UK-based carmaker seeks new sources of growth.

The Guardian reports that JLR is also bidding for a £900m UK Ministry of Defence tender to replace ageing Land Rovers, competing with General Motors and Ineos. The figure is the value of the overall tender, not confirmed revenue for JLR.

Owned by India’s Tata Motors, JLR has established a dedicated Defender defence division to pursue military-vehicle partnerships around the world. The company unveiled three Wolf Series II variants and is seeking to expand beyond its more than 70-year relationship with the British armed forces.

JLR says the vehicles can be adapted for a range of military roles and operational requirements. No NATO sales have been confirmed, and the countries involved in the talks have not been identified.

The defence initiative comes as JLR faces weaker demand, higher costs, tariff-related pressures and the reported effects of a cyber-attack. The company said the move was unrelated to planned global cuts of 4,000 jobs.

JLR is among several carmakers moving towards defence-related manufacturing as the industry faces rising competition and the transition to electric vehicles. Volkswagen and Renault have also announced defence-related production plans.