Team LionStrike demos vehicles as Land Mobility Programme campaign gets underway

Team LionStrike, a collaboration between GM Defense, BAE Systems, and NP Aerospace, held its first-ever UK demonstration on November 13th, showcasing a range of light and utility military vehicles to VIPs and media at the renowned Millbrook Proving Ground.

The “Ride and Drive” event offered invited guests a close-up look at the vehicles being put forward to meet the requirements of the UK Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) Land Mobility Programme (LMP). Specifically, the platforms are being offered for the lighter vehicle requirements: the General Support Utility Platform (GSUP) and the Light Mobility Vehicle (LMV), for which a selection is anticipated in 2026.

Team LionStrike was established in early September 2025 and first revealed its GM Defense GSUP vehicle in a static display at the DSEI exhibition later that month. The event was the first opportunity for attendees in the UK to not only inspect the vehicles in detail but also to ride and drive the variants. The team’s structure, anchored by GM Defense as the vehicle OEM and supported by BAE Systems and NP Aerospace, is a core part of its value proposition, benefiting from GM’s worldwide parts distribution system.

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“I truly believe that what makes Team LionStrike different is the fact that GM, with our history and proven capability, is embedded into the procurement and support solutions offered here, as the vehicle Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM),” Johnson said. “Having the OEM so intimately involved provides capability, efficiencies and crucial assurance, confidence and support to the U.K. Armed Forces, through life,” J.D. Johnson, vice president of GM Defense Government Solutions and Strategy said. 

Furthermore, the press release that attended the event states that Team LionStrike is committed to generating economic growth, in line with the UK’s Land Industrial Strategy, and creating significant export potential by building a sustainable UK-based supply chain and delivery ecosystem. Generating economic growth is seen as key for the Labour Government after a Strategic Defence review recommended that defence use its spending power in a more focused fashion to drive growth. It is now the driving narrative around many of the UK’s defence-related events, from the export sale of Typhoons and Type 26 frigates, through to attracting venture capital into the UK. 

Land Mobility Programme: Big and non-discretionary 

The biggest MoD programme in the land domain is the Land Mobility Programme (LMP), which is designed to replace the light utility and protected mobility vehicles in British service. This covers almost everything from the Land Rover and Pinzgauer fleet, through to the Foxhounds, Mastiffs, and even some of the roles performed by the FV432 Mk 3. To give an idea of the scale of the programme, it has been divided into three separate projects: 

• Light Utility Platform, with an estimated requirement for up to 7,000 vehicles, replacing Land Rover and Pinzgauer amongst other platforms. 
• Light Protected Mobility Vehicle, with a requirement for as many as 3,000 vehicles weighing no more than 10,000 kg to replace vehicles like the Panther command platform.
• Medium Protected Mobility, the heaviest of the projects with requirements for around 1,600 vehicles weighing up to 20,000 kg in five variants replacing the FV432 and others. 

The LMP is likely to have a total value exceeding £4.8 billion ($6.4 billion/€5.7 billion), assuming that the scope and scale of the programme is left untouched. It is also – like most of the Army’s procurements – no longer discretionary. The newest Land Rovers are around 30 years old already, the FV430 Bulldog – despite many upgrades – is between 40 and 60 years old. Meanwhile platforms in the 4×4 protected mobility space effectively all perform the same role, but create several different logistics chains. 

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The problem is compounded by the scale of procurements that must be undertaken. In 2024, there were more than 6,000 Land Rovers in 65 variants in service with the British Army, according to a contract announcement from the MoD looking for companies to maintain them. The selection of Patria and Babcock with the CAVS that was announced during DSEI does address the Medium component of the programme, although it is unclear how many will be ordered. 

Tech profile: GM’s product lineup

The demonstration featured three proven, Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) military vehicles. They make extensive use of parts that are also used for GM’s commercial products. This is designed to support through life maintenance and support. 

GSUP based on the Chevrolet S10 Work Truck.

• Capacity: 4 crew.
• Power: 207HP diesel engine.
• Payload: 1116 kg.

Silverado 1500 ZR2, a light-duty variant.

• Capacity: 5 crew.
• Power: 305HP diesel engine.
• Payload: 705 kg

Infantry Squad Vehicle- Utility (ISV-U), which is built upon the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 platform.

• Capacity: Up to 5 crew.
• Power: 186 HP engineer

Calibre comment: An anxious wait

Any company bidding on UK MoD projects is anxiously awaiting the Defence Spending plan, which will set out the projects that the Labour Government intends to fund. It is clear that there are a lot of projects that need funding, but that there is not a lot of money going spare, which is why the wait is an anxious one for many. The LMP at least is set to replace vehicles that simply must be replaced because a good portion of them are no longer serviceable. So, it is worth watching Team Lionstrike and the other entrants like Babcock as their campaigns get under way. 

By Sam Cranny-Evans, published on November 18th, 2025. Credit for the lead image is GM Defense. It shows a GSUP vehicle navigating the course at the Millbrook Proving Ground during the demonstration day.