The iconic original Land Rover is being retired from the British Army’s fleet after more than 70 years, the UK Government has announced.
The Ministry of Defence said the retirement programme would begin immediately, and that plans were now underway to find “the next generation of light mobility vehicles”, the first of which were expected to be in service by 2030.
More than 5,000 Land Rovers remained in UK military service as of 2025. They have been used for duties including patrol, command liaison and transporting equipment and personnel.
The original Land Rover was launched in 1948, with widespread military adoption in the 1950s. Bespoke versions developed over the years included an ambulance, an SAS vehicle, a sea landing vehicle and a half-track.
The civilian version was latterly known as the Defender. It went out of production in 2016, and was replaced by the new Defender three years later.
Further information:
https://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/british-army-announces-retirement-of-land-rover-fleet