DEFENDER REVEALS NEXT-GENERATION MILITARY VEHICLE FOR THE MODERN ERA - INTRODUCING DEFENDER WOLF II

4 September 2026

  • Defender reveals next generation military vehicle, Defender Wolf Series II
  • The vehicle was designed and engineered in the UK, with key technologies and engines built in the UK
  • Defender Wolf Series II is the next evolution of Defender's service with the military, a partnership which spans over 70 years, and the first iteration of the current generation of Defender
  • The vehicle uses Defender’s purpose‑engineered D7x monocoque construction. This creates a stiffer body structure to tackle the harshest of environments and increased payload capacity over prior ‘ladder on frame’ technology
  • Four variants of Defender Wolf Series II are to be unveiled at the British Army DVD 2026 event

Gaydon, UK – 4 September 2026 Defender is today revealing its new Defender Wolf Series II, its next generation light mobility vehicle. 

The vehicle, based on Defender’s purpose‑engineered D7x architecture and monocoque construction, is Defender's first military vehicle launch since the original Defender Wolf, which served the British Armed Forces for more than 70 years. 

Defender Wolf Series II will compete for the Ministry of Defence Light Mobility Vehicle tender, while JLR has also established a new Defender Defence Division to engage with and support the requirements of other defence organisations. 

During development, Defender was tested to the extreme undergoing more than 62,000 tests for engineering sign‑off, while the chassis and body architecture were engineered to withstand JLR’s Extreme Event Test procedure. 

Now, Defender Wolf Series II adds to the existing Defender Expert portfolio that currently serves emergency organisations around the world in practical roles including border force, police, military and fire, proving the vehicle’s versatility to operate in tough environments.  

Four variants of Defender Wolf Series II, including a tactical mobility vehicle, a general mobility vehicle, an ambulance and a utility vehicle, are to be unveiled at the British Army DVD 2026 event, at Millbrook proving ground in Bedfordshire, on 16‑17 September. 

The Defender Wolf Series II is our next generation military vehicle. British design and engineered with pioneering off road technologies and an engine built in Wolverhampton. The Defender Wolf Series II is intended as a light mobility solution for people and equipment transportation for the defence sector. We are bidding for the UK Ministry of Defence Light Mobility Vehicle tender, with a modern replacement for the world‑famous Defender Wolf that served the British Armed Forces for over 70 years.

Our Defender Wolf Series II has been tested to the extreme and is highly suited to military light mobility purposes. Defender already demonstrates its versatility in tough roles for emergency organisations around the world such as border force, mountain rescue, police and fire.

Patrick McGillycuddy
Defender Managing Director

New Defender’s recent success at Dakar and a demonstration at the MOD’s independent testing ground, where it was the only vehicle to have successfully navigated all obstacles, shows the vehicle’s supreme off‑road capability.  

Defender’s expert engineers have end‑to‑end control of Defender Wolf Series II’s engineering process, removing unnecessary complexity and fit and finish, to produce a vehicle that meets military requirements for a new, modern fleet at pace and scale with enduring sovereign capability, backed up by JLR’s global supply chain. 

Further information

Media Enquiries:

Louise Thompson Davies

Global Head of JLR External Communications

E: lthomps9@jaguarlandrover.com 

M: +44 (0) 7500827823

 

David Wrottesley 

JLR Corporate PR Manager

E: dwrottes@jaguarlandrover.com

M: +44 (0) 7846 091167

 

JLR Media:    

E: jlrmedia@jaguarlandrover.com    

Media website: https://media.jaguarlandrover.com/en 

Social Channels:

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Notes to Editors

Please see here for further info on Defender Expert.

 

ABOUT DEFENDER 

Defender embraces the impossible. Each member of the Defender family is purposefully designed, highly desirable and seriously durable. A modern‑day hero that respects the past but at the same time anticipates the future. 

Available in 90, 110 and 130 body styles, with up to eight seats, each has a charisma of its own. 

Defender can be specified from a range of powertrain options, including Defender 110 as an electric hybrid.  

Defender Hard Top means business, with 90 and 110 body styles for professional capability. 

The tough luxury Defender OCTA is the master of extreme performance – taking performance and capability to another level on and off‑road.  

A beacon of liberty that can trace its roots back to the first Land Rover in 1948, Defender is a brand that supports humanitarian and conservation work with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Tusk Trust.  

The Defender brand is underpinned by Land Rover – a mark of trust built on more than 75 years of expertise in technology and world‑renowned off‑road capability. 

Defender is designed and engineered in the UK and sold in 121 countries. It forms part of JLR's portfolio of distinctive British brands.  

 

Tested to the extreme: 

With a torsional rigidity of 29kNm/Degree – making it three times more rigid than traditional body‑on‑frame designs.  

Tested to the extreme ‑ more than 62,000 tests for engineering sign‑off, while the chassis and body architecture have been engineered to withstand JLR’s Extreme Event Test procedure. 

Covered millions of kilometres across some of the harshest environments on earth, ranging from the 50‑degree heat of the desert and sub‑40‑degree cold of the Arctic, to altitudes of 10,000ft in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. 

Defender’s legendary toughness is highlighted by the five‑star Euro NCAP safety rating.  

Pioneering technology from Terrain Response 2® includes Wade programme and Configurable Terrain Response, plus adaptive Off‑Road Cruise Control. 

 

ABOUT JLR  

JLR’s Reimagine strategy aims to deliver a sustainability‑rich vision of modern luxury by design.   

We are transforming our business with the aim to become carbon net zero across our supply chain, products, and operations by 2039. Electrification is central to our strategy and before the end of the decade our brands will each have a pure electric model, while Jaguar will be entirely electric.   
  
The flexibility of our unique powertrain technologies means we can continue to offer hybrid and ICE vehicles in our ranges as we begin to roll out full BEV options, to match demand in the global transition to electric.   
  
At heart we are a British company, with two design and engineering sites, two vehicle manufacturing facilities, a components and finishing facility, an electric propulsion manufacturing centre, and a battery assembly centre in the UK. We also have vehicle plants in China (joint venture), Slovakia, India, and Brazil, as well as seven technology hubs across the globe.    

JLR is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Limited, part of Tata Sons. 

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE  

JLR is constantly seeking ways to improve the specification, design and production of its vehicles, parts and accessories and alterations take place continually. Whilst every effort is made to produce up‑to‑date literature, this document should not be regarded as an infallible guide to current specifications or availability, nor does it constitute an offer for the sale of any particular vehicle, part or accessory.