Defender Wolf Series II

History

The Defender Wolf Series II is a British light military mobility vehicle family developed for the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence Light Mobility Vehicle programme. It is intended to transport personnel and equipment while providing a common platform that can be adapted to multiple military roles.

The vehicle uses Defender's D7x monocoque architecture rather than the separate ladder-frame chassis associated with the earlier military Defender Wolf. Defender developed the Series II as a new military platform and established a dedicated Defender Defence Division to support British and other defence requirements.

Wolf Series II entered public view in 2026 as Defender prepared vehicles for the British Army's DVD 2026 event at the Millbrook proving ground in Bedfordshire. The programme remained a bid for the UK Light Mobility Vehicle requirement rather than an operational British military vehicle.

Development and unveiling

Defender developed Wolf Series II as a modern successor concept for military light mobility duties previously performed by older Wolf-specification Land Rovers. The new design retained the Defender name but adopted the newer D7x structural architecture and a substantially different monocoque construction method.

During development, the platform underwent more than 62,000 engineering sign-off tests. Its chassis and body architecture were also engineered for Defender's Extreme Event Test procedure, intended to evaluate operation under demanding terrain and environmental conditions.

Before DVD 2026, Defender described a broader Wolf Series II family that included tactical mobility, general mobility, ambulance and utility configurations. At the event in September 2026, three Wolf Series II vehicles were confirmed as being presented for the Light Mobility Vehicle bid: Tactical Mobility Vehicle, Mono-Tactical Mobility Vehicle and Utility Vehicle configurations. Other configurations described for the family include a General Purpose Vehicle, Command and Control Vehicle and Battlefield Ambulance.

Design

Wolf Series II is based on Defender's D7x architecture and uses monocoque construction, in which the body and principal structural elements form an integrated load-bearing structure. This differs from the separate chassis arrangement used by previous military Defender generations. Defender states that the structure has torsional rigidity of 29 kNm per degree.

The family uses a six-cylinder diesel engine rated at 250 bhp and 576 Nm of torque. The engine is intended to operate with NATO-compatible fuel. Stated common mobility characteristics include 293 mm of ground clearance, a maximum fording depth of 900 mm and a range of 938 km on one tank.

Different Wolf Series II configurations adapt the common architecture to personnel transport, cargo carriage and specialist military roles. The Mono-Tactical Mobility Vehicle is based on the Defender 110 platform, while the Utility Vehicle uses the longer Defender 130 configuration. Both are described with an air and coil suspension arrangement and compatibility with internal transport aboard a CH-47 helicopter.

Program status

As of September 2026, Wolf Series II was being offered for the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence Light Mobility Vehicle programme. Defender was also positioning the vehicle family for requirements from other NATO defence organisations. The available evidence describes the vehicles as bid and development configurations and does not establish operational service entry or a production contract.

Variants

• Tactical Mobility Vehicle: A Wolf Series II tactical configuration presented for the UK Light Mobility Vehicle programme at DVD 2026.
• Mono-Tactical Mobility Vehicle: A Defender 110-based configuration carrying four personnel with a 1,000 kg payload and a maximum braked towing capacity of 3,500 kg.
• Utility Vehicle: A longer Defender 130-based configuration with a 2,000 kg payload and a maximum braked towing capacity of 3,000 kg.
• General Purpose Vehicle: A general-purpose configuration developed as part of the broader Wolf Series II family.
• Command and Control Vehicle: A specialist command and control configuration developed on the common Wolf Series II architecture.
• Battlefield Ambulance: A medical evacuation configuration developed as part of the Wolf Series II family.

Specifications (Wolf Series II Mono-Tactical Mobility Vehicle)

General characteristics

• Base platform: Defender 110 with D7x monocoque architecture
• Occupants: 4
• Payload: 1,000 kg
• Maximum braked towing capacity: 3,500 kg
• Engine: Six-cylinder diesel
• Power: 250 bhp
• Torque: 576 Nm
• Fuel compatibility: NATO-compatible fuel
• Suspension: Air and coil arrangement

Mobility

• Ground clearance: 293 mm
• Fording depth: Up to 900 mm
• Range: 938 km on one tank
• Air transport: Compatible with internal transport aboard a CH-47 helicopter