DSEI 2023: Babcock beefs up Land Cruisers as British Army Land Rover replacement programme looms
The Land Cruiser-based GLV on display at DSEI is a long-wheelbase variant which is capable of carrying a NATO-standard pallet in the rear and has full 180° opening rear doors for easy access. (Photo: author)
Babcock has unveiled a militarised version of the Toyota Land Cruiser 70 which retains the chassis, drive train, engine and other systems but features a modified body more suited to a soldier's height range of 4’8” to 6’6” including kit and helmet.
Dubbed the General Logistic Vehicle (GLV) the 4x4 is at proof of concept or advanced prototype stage but while it has done some on-road and off-road trials this is described by Lewis Bullock, of the company’s armour, mobility and vehicle systems division, as ‘early days’.
The GLV will come with an automatic gearbox (unlike the vehicle on display) and a 2.8l diesel engine. The vehicle at DSEI is soft-skin but adding armour and additional capability is an option.
The vehicle is the long-wheelbase variant which is capable of carrying a NATO-standard pallet in the rear and has full 180° opening rear doors for easy access but will be available in medium- and short-wheelbase versions.
Additionally the GLV could be built as a 6x6 or as a chassis cab to allow for other roles such as fit-out as an ambulance.
Bullock noted the UK’s desire to replace its army Land Rovers and that this vehicle ‘was likely to be offered but we have been working on GLV as a concept for more than a year and we were looking to develop it before the RFI was released'.
‘The commonality of this vehicle with the Toyota Land Cruiser 70 means there is a supply chain and economies of scale to be had for many systems on the vehicle.’
Under the army’s Land Mobility Programme more than a dozen vehicle types accrued over the years will be reduced to four, including a utility vehicle of the size and type likely to match GLV’s specifications.
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